Medicare is a federal health insurance program created to provide a safety net for America’s senior citizens. Now expanded to cover seniors plus disabled enrollees who meet specific criteria, the program is the largest single health care payer in the nation (Medicaid has more enrollees, but it’s jointly funded by the federal government and each state; Medicare is truly a single-payer system).
Although Medicare’s costs and outcomes are the subject of ongoing debate in the overall health care reform discussion, Medicare remains a wildly popular program with Americans approaching the age of eligibility. As of 2017, there are roughly 59 million Americans covered by Medicare.
What is Medicare?
January 11, 2018 – Medicare is the federal health insurance program created in 1965 to provide health coverage for Americans aged 65 and older. The program… Read more
A brief history of Medicare in America
February 27, 2018 – How and why was Medicare launched? Credit goes to President Harry S. Truman and his administration for making the idea of government-led… Read more
Medicare and health reform
September 16, 2017 – The health reform law produced a long list of provisions intended to contain Medicare costs while increasing revenue, improving and… Read more