Medicare Act of 1965
BETTERING THE HUMAN CONDITION.
LBJ wants only the best for us.
"These people are our prideful responsibility and they are entitled, among other benefits, to the best medical protection available." - President Johnson
What exactly is Medicare?
In the United States, Medicare is a national social insurance program, administered by the U.S. Federal government since 1966, that guarantees access to health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older who have worked and paid into the system, and younger people with disabilities .
Why its so important...
As a social insurance program, Medicare spreads the financial risk associated with illness across society to protect everyone, and thus has a somewhat different social role from for-profit private insurers, which manage their risk portfolio by adjusting their pricing according to perceived risk.
Benefits for Medicare...
Part A: Hospital Insurance
Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, including semiprivate room, food, and tests.The maximum length of stay that Medicare Part A will cover in a hospital inpatient stay or series of stays is typically 90 days. The first 60 days would be paid by Medicare in full.
Part B: Supplementary Medical Insurance
Medical insurance helps pay for some services and products not covered by Part A, generally on an outpatient basis. Part B coverage includes physician and nursing services, x-rays laboratory and diagnostic tests, influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, blood transfusion, renal dialysis , outpatient hospital procedures, limited ambulance transportation, immunosuppressive drugs for organ transplant recipients, hormonal treatments such as Lupron, and other outpatient medical treatments administered in a doctor's office. Medication administration is covered under Part B if it is administered by the physician during an office visit.
Part C: Medicare Advantage plans
This part combines hospitals costs, doctors care, and outpatient care in a single plan.
Part D: Prescription drug plans
This helps pay for drug costs.
You believe in Medicare for All. What exactly does that mean?
We work to ensure that all Americans have access to good, affordable health care coverage. Under our plan, people could keep the private insurance they have if they like. Alternatively, they could buy affordable coverage through a public purchaser, like Medicare, that allows them to use doctors and hospitals anywhere in America. As we know from Medicare, a large public purchaser can use its market leverage to offer a standard set of benefits at an affordable cost to all Americans. If everyone had this choice, the cost of coverage would come down for everyone.