For the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, Maya Rockeymoore writes in New York Times’ Room for Debate that we should celebrate the fact that these programs have helped millions of Americans and make sure they are adequately funded for future generations. We can afford to do that if we make it a priority.
It’s easy to forget that our country once allowed half of its seniors and the vast majority of low-income workers and their families to go without life-saving health coverage — leading to unnecessary pain, suffering and early death.
By adopting Medicare and Medicaid, U.S. leaders declared to the world that there was a standard of living they were prepared to guarantee in order to secure better, more humane outcomes for its citizens. It was collective action at its best.
