On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation amending the Social Security Act and establishing Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for low-income adults, children, pregnant women and people with disabilities. These programs transformed the delivery of health care in the United States.
To commemorate this 50th anniversary, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will share daily facts and posts on Twitter (@cmsgov) and Medicaid.gov, CMS will highlight people and places representing the Medicare and Medicaid programs over the years. CMS will engage in conversations with beneficiaries, providers and health experts. They invite the public to participate by sharing stories of how Medicare and Medicaid have made a difference. Share your story.
Here is some of the media coverage of the milestone:
Medicare and Medicaid Mark A Milestone, The Washington Post, 7-20-15
Medicaid Turns 50 Mired in Controversy, USA Today, 7-15-15
The Kaiser Family Foundation has published this report on the programs at their half century mark, “Medicare and Medicaid at 50.”
