Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Commemorates the 48th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

Washington, DC – (Tuesday, July 30, 2013) –  Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson released the following statement on the 48th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid becoming law:  

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 48th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. These programs provide an essential safety net for seniors, people with disabilities, and vulnerable children and families.

Before Medicare was enacted on this day in 1965, half of all seniors were uninsured. Today, forty-two million seniors and nine million people with disabilities receive health care through Medicare. Sixty-seven million Americans also rely on Medicaid, including six million seniors and one million nursing home residents.

On this notable anniversary, we must consider not only how to preserve, but also how to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid well into the future. The Affordable Care Act helps support Medicare by making key preventive services available to consumers with no out-of-pocket costs, by eliminating fraud and improving efficiency, and by saving seniors an average of $18,000 in drug costs over the next decade.

I am confident that Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act will continue to provide quality, affordable health care for Americans who need it well into the future. I will be working hard in Congress to make sure of it.”

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a Ranking member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Kessler Park, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, South Dallas & South Oak Cliff; all of Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Ferris, Glenn Heights, South Grand Prairie, Oak Lawn, Ovilla, Uptown/Victory Park and West Dallas.