7/3/2015 – Medicare and Medicaid at 50 (The New York Times)

Medicare and Medicaid, the two mainstays of government health insurance, turn 50 this month, having made it possible for most Americans in poverty and old age to get medical care. Its achievement in improving life expectancy and reducing poverty among the elderly has been enormous. Before Medicare, almost half of all Americans 65 and older had no health insurance. Today that number is 2 percent. Analysts say that between 1970 and 2010, Medicare contributed to a five-year increase in life expectancy at age 65, by providing early access to needed medical care. Even compared with people under age 65 who have insurance, those on Medicare are less likely to miss needed care or have unmanageable medical bills.

Read the full article in The New York Times.