Medicare and Medicaid Should be Strengthened, Not Gutted
by Gregg Chadwick Today in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare & Medicaid into law. We must strengthen and expand, not slash, them. pic.twitter.com/0zX6opMpMw — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 30, 2017 Fifty two years ago on July 30, 1965, in a groundbreaking act, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law. Both programs still stand as strong examples of the United States government at its best. Because of LBJ's vision and the thousands of health care activists that laid the groundwork before the bill became law, Medicare and Medicaid have brought high quality, affordable health care to seniors, people with disabilities and qualifying individuals. The 1965 Medicare Act required that hospitals had to desegregate in order to get Medicare money. Medicaid, also, required the desegregation of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Both programs pushed the country forward towards a more equitable health care system. Instead of cutting back or...
