DeLauro Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of Creation Of Medicare, Medicaid

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Medicaid.

"Medicare and Medicaid are the ultimate legislative expressions of our shared national values. They enable millions of Americans to live with dignity and economic security. These programs have a proven record of alleviating poverty. Medicare alone has reduced senior poverty by two-thirds over the past fifty years.

"Despite this legacy, the Republican Party continues to put forth budget proposals that would devastate these programs. Their most recent budget would cut $1.8 trillion from Medicaid, and rob 14 million people of their coverage. It would turn the whole program into a block grant, leaving millions of families in limbo. It would partly privatize Medicare, allowing private insurers to cherry pick healthy seniors and leaving the rest of the program in ruins.

"We cannot allow that to happen. We must keep Medicare and Medicaid strong for another fifty years, and beyond. Today, I renew my pledge to stand up for working families and the social contract that helped to form the middle class."

Since President Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law in 1965, they have helped to successfully reduce the poverty rate among older Americans from 28.5 percent in 1966 to nine percent today.

Connecticut's Third Congressional District, represented by DeLauro, has 127,287 Medicaid recipients, 17.9 percent of the population. Seventeen percent of the population--120,323 residents--have Medicare coverage.

Source