Van Hollen Marks 50th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid:

"Today we mark the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid -- historic programs that transformed the way we provide health care to tens of millions of people and fundamentally changed our nation for the better. Taken together, these two programs served as the cornerstone of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society program. At its start, Medicare served over 19 million beneficiaries. Today, Medicare serves more than 55 million beneficiaries -- over 900,000 in Maryland alone. Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) serve more than 71 million Americans, including nearly 1 million Marylanders.

"When President Johnson fought to create these programs, he was met with great opposition. And today, despite their clear successes, Medicare and Medicaid often come under attack from our Republican colleagues. They have offered plan after plan to gut Medicaid and end the Medicare guarantee -- all in order to ensure the very wealthy and special interests get windfall tax breaks. The children, families, and seniors who rely on these programs deserve and demand better.

"Democrats understood that we needed to protect Medicare and Medicaid and reform our overall health care system -- and we took action. The Affordable Care Act took strong and immediate steps to put Medicare on a more sustainable footing, strengthening the program while also lowering the costs of the program to the taxpayer. The law has given states the chance to expand Medicaid to families who were still struggling to make ends meet -- nearly 13 million people nationwide. Overall, the law has provided quality, affordable health care to millions more Americans.

"We will not turn back the clock on those achievements. As we celebrate this anniversary, we also recommit ourselves to preserving the promise of Medicare and Medicaid today and for future generations."

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