History of Medicare

A look at the political debates that have shaped the health insurance program over the years.

5 Seconds

00:00

1962

John F. Kennedy called attention to the establishment of a Medicare program by making it a central tenet of his 1960 campaign. Here, two years later, citizens fill New York’s Madison Square Garden to capacity at a rally to hear the president speak in support of his administration’s proposal. Kennedy said the arguments against his Medicare program were the same ones raised 25 years ago when Social Security was proposed.

/ AP

1964

Robert F. Kennedy, seeking election as U.S. senator from New York, shakes hands in New York's Garment District, where he addressed a Medicare rally. Police estimated 5,000 people listened to his speech.

/ AP

1964

At the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, senior citizens crammed into the venue to show support for the Medicare program President Lyndon B. Johnson was trying to push through Congress.

/ AP

1965

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare Bill into law at a ceremony in Independence, Mo. Former president Harry Truman, an advocate of the program, joined Johnson for the signing and became Medicare's first enrollee.

/ AP

1966

Lillian Grace Avery, the nation's first Medicare beneficiary, signs Medicare forms at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Ill., on July 1, 1966.

/ AP

1982

As inflation and unemployment soared in 1982, Ronald Reagan proposed a series of budget cuts, including cuts to Medicare, to help get the deficit and the economy back on track. Here, demonstrators march on the state Capitol in Helena, Mont., in protest the Reagan administration's proposed cuts to Medicare.

George Lane / AP

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), right, joins with other members of Congress at a 20-year birthday party celebration for Medicaid and Medicare, July 30, 1985. He is joined by Rep. Edward Roybal of Calif.; Rep. Austin Murphy (D-Pa.); Wilbur Cohen of Save Our Security and Rep. James Jeffords (R-Vt.).

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

1995

Norman Abramowitz, mayor of Tamarac, Fla., tells President Bill Clinton that seniors "are terrified, they're frightened, they're confused" at Republicans' plans to reform Medicare. Clinton said the plan would push 500,000 older Americans into poverty while transforming the Medicare trust fund into "a piggy bank" to pay for tax cuts for the rich. The group of seniors assembled here was invited to listen to the president's weekly radio address at the Oval Office. First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is seated at left.

Doug Mills / AP

1995

President Clinton, flanked by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), left, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), gestures during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House to discuss the federal budget impasse that largely centered on how much to spend on Medicare, Medicaid, welfare and tax cuts.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

1995

Rep. Bruce Vento, (D-Minn.), along with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), left, and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), holds an umbrella with the word "Shame" printed on it during an unofficial hearing on Capitol Hill to discuss Medicare. House Democrats, angry over Republican Medicare proposals, staged the rain-drenched hearing to attack the newly released Republican plan for revamping health insurance for the elderly.

Mark Wilson / AP

1995

Demonstrators hold a vigil on the east steps of the Capitol to protest a proposed $270 million in cuts to Medicare.

Mark Wilson / AP

1997

Members of the American Association of Retired Persons stage a rally in support of keeping Medicare strong as politicians were floating a move to make some Medicare recipients pay more for benefits. The protesters were assembled outside the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston where President Clinton was appearing at a Democratic Party fundraiser.

Gail Oskin / AP

On Dec. 8, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law an expansion of Medicare that extended prescription drug coverage to millions of older Americans. The change, forecast to cost $400 billion over the following decade, was the most significant change to the insurance program since its inception and came on the heels of years of partisan stalemate.

/ Associated Press

2011

In December, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) joined forces with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to craft a new plan for the future of Medicare. Under their proposal, government-run Medicare would be offered to seniors alongside private plans.

/ Bloomberg

Featured Photo Galleries

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti of Scotland (L) celebrates as he crosses the finish line ahead of teammate Scott Dixon of New Zealand and KV Racing Technology driver Tony Kanaan of Brazil during the Indianapolis 500 autorace at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 27, 2012. REUTERS/John Sommers II(UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT MOTORSPORT)

Dario Franchitti wins the Indianapolis 500

Dario Franchitti wins his third Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 27: Christian Slayton, 12 prays to a fallen soldiers memorial as motorcycles from the Rolling Thunder event pass by in Washington, DC on May 27, 2012. Slayton, who is from Raleigh, NC ran out to the makeshift memorial to say a prayer of thanks for all the veterans living and fallen. He said he wanted to thank them for letting us be free and able to have the rights that some countries never had. Riders from across the nation come together every year to ride from the Pentagon over to the National Mall as a rememberance those POW and MIAs in the Vietnam War. (Photo by Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Rolling Thunder descends on Washington

Motorcyclists take part in the annual parade ahead of Memorial Day.

Visitors stop to read the names on the Vietnam Memorial at sunrise on the fist day of the Memorial Day weekend in Washington Saturday, May 24, 2008. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

Honoring the Vietnam War’s fallen

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 24: Aaron Rubinstein, center, with fellow students, lights candles before the annual Mass for family members of the cadavers used in anatomy studies on May, 24, 2012 in Washington, DC. At right are Steven Kazuska and Meghan Kuska. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Students express gratitude for cadavers

Georgetown University students thank the families who allowed the use of cadavers for study.

Cambodian Grilled Corn is basted with a mix of coconut milk and sugar, then grilled until caramelized. Recipe by grilling expert Steven Raichlen, for a Chef on Call lesson. (Michael Temchine for The Washington Post) Freelance Photo imported to Merlin on Fri May 16 15:10:05 2008

Memorial Day recipes

Here are some favorite burgers, entrees and desserts from our Recipe Finder database.

FAIRFAX, VA - MAY 23: US Army Veteran Sandra Strickland embraces her daughter, Heaven, 8, after dinner Wednesday May 23, 2012 in Fairfax, VA. After losing her job, custody of her children and being evicted from her apartment, Strickland moved into a home for homeless female veterans provided by Final Salute, Inc. (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Fairfax shelter becomes a lifeline for homeless female veterans

A former Army captain opened the shelter with last fall.

Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Volodymyr Litvin (Bottom) looks on as deputies of the Ukrainian opposition fight with deputies of the pro-presidential majority during a session of parliament in Kiev, as opposition parties protest a bill proposed by the ruling party which would make Russian an official state language along with Ukrainian. AFP PHOTO/STRINGERSTR/AFP/GettyImages

Ukrainian parliament fight, SpaceX cargo craft, Mars rover Opportunity and more in the day in photos

Ukrainian parliament fight, SpaceX cargo craft, Mars rover Opportunity and more.

Red Panda Bears sleep in the Panda Bear enclosure at the Beijing Zoo on May 22, 2012. The zoo grounds were originally a Ming Dynasty imperial palace and finally opened to the public in 1908. The zoo's history states that during the WWII, most of the zoo's animals died of starvation with only 13 monkeys and one old emu surviving the war. AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTONMARK RALSTON/AFP/GettyImages

Barn owls, pit bulls, red pandas, cheetah cubs and more in animal views

Barn owls, pit bulls, red pandas, cheetah cubs and more.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

Business

History of Medicare

A look at the political debates that have shaped the health insurance program over the years.

Featured Photo Galleries