Maintain Medicare

Like it or not we are all aging! It is a scary thought for some. However, knowing that my grandparents, parents, and one day myself will have the option to obtain Medicare is very comforting. Medicare is a federal health care program that was put in place by Congress in 1965 to provide health insurance to Americans sixty-five and above. Medicare was then expanded in 1972 to also cover younger individuals who are disabled (Kaiser, 2012). Traditional Medicare provides coverage to all Americans sixty-five and older without taking into account income. Prior to Medicare a whopping fifty percent of seniors lacked health coverage (Center for Medicare Advocacy, 2009)! To think of all the individuals who could not afford health care or had preexisting health problems and where unable to be cared for is simply unacceptable. Private insurances felt taking care of those with prior illnesses and people sixty-five and older would be too costly. Medicare has put a stop to that issue. With this federal health care program Americans have a stable sense of security knowing that their insurance will not revoke their benefits if an illness arises or too many claims come about. It is my strong belief that after working forty years or more Americans have earned the right to have health care insurance. People deserve to reap the benefits of having paid their taxes for at least ten years. As a result of the new health reform there will be some changes happening to Medicare. To improve early detection there will be annual well-visit checkups, colorectal cancer screenings, mammograms, and colonoscopies covered by Medicare (Health Policy Briefs, 2010). Due to early detection of chronic illnesses which inevitably cost billions, such as heart disease and diabetes will be lowered. The initial goal of Medicare still stands today, “to provide fair access to health care, through a stable unified program (Center for Medicare Advocacy, 2009).” It is imperative that we stick together as a nation to