This week marks the 49th anniversary of two of the most important “big government” programs ever — Medicare and Medicaid.
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed these two critical health care programs into law. At the signing ceremony, LBJ handed the first two Medicare cards to former President Harry Truman, who had called for the program years before, and his wife, former first lady Bess Truman.
While I hold my own opinions regarding “big government” and its ever expanding role in our society, this blog is not a platform to express my personal views on this topic.
The salient and indisputable point, however, is that Medicare has made the lives of millions of American senior citizens more secure and healthier. Medicaid has improved the lives of millions more poor Americans, by giving them access to health care at a fair price.