Medicare's History Puts Present Struggles in Perspective

Medicare in the United States began with President Lyndon Johnson. It was he who actually signed his name to the health contract. But we must remember that he was vice-president when John F. Kennedy was assassinated November 22, 1963 and much of the planning for health care for the elderly and the indigent had started with both of them earlier.

However, to be fair, long before either President Kennedy or President Kennedy involved themselves with Medicare, it was President Harry Truman who twenty years earlier -- 1945 -- proposed the idea for social insurance.To honor him for this initial recognition of the need for such legislation, President Johnson chose the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, for the actual signing. Truman, quite fittingly, sat close by as the president addressed the audience on that fateful day.

Changes have taken place over the years as needs become evident. On December 8, 2003, he most important such change, the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) was signed by George W. Bush. The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-173) gives seniors and disabled individuals help with their medications.

Other changes over the years have had to do with provisional slights and oversights. Sometimes particular circumstances would make it necessary to include that clause or add that wording to some already piece of workable legislation. Circumstances such as age or eligibility, hospitalization needs, and other pertinent detailing amending the original legislation, often were legislative add ons.

The Medicaid program was also established in 1965 and is co-funded by the states and the federal government but is controlled by the states. It oversees low income families and the disabled under the age of sixty-five -- the age requirement for Medicare -- and for the elderly who have little or no Social Security payments.

Though the two, Medicare and Medicaid, are two separate programs, they work closely together to ensure that double funding and other fraudulent practices are not taking place. The specific mechanism of Medicaid is Title XIX of the Social Security Act. Although possibly labeled differently, each state provides the same type of care.

In 1970, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program came into being to help those who have no income. It comes under the Social Security Act which dates back to 1935. Understanding that to keep up with medicare and medicate was mind-boggling, further legislation, The Health Care Financing Administration was put into practice to take oversee the necessary paper work.

Other problems such as too many pregnant women not seeking health care and how to care for illegal immigrants and other situations that often came up saw the need for further legislation. The Balanced Act of 1997 created the State Children's Health Program. This reached out to those left out of Medicaid. This is now in place in all U.S. States although all may not be the same.

Getting even more involved with the health of its citizens, The U.S. in 2000 signed into law the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment and Prevention Act . Although quite expensive this program has been popular and has been acclaimed by both the medical community and women in general. Reportedly, it has saved many lives and despite more recent recommendations to do away with some of the careful planned mammogram screenings, women protested.

Look for further legislation which is being debated and signed into law as this is being written. No time since the inception of Medicare has there been disputes and concerns going on as is being seen today. It has been such an important program and people have learned to depend on it and any hint of it being derailed is met with apprehension and anger. Yet, advisors tell us something must be done to ensure it's continuance, otherwise it will run of funds in a few years.