Pelosi Honors 40th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

Pelosi Commemorates 40th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

Friday, July 29, 2005

Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. â€" House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, which is on Saturday, July 30th:

â€Å"This Saturday marks the proud occasion of the 40th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. Passed by a Democratic Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Medicaid and Medicare have transformed what it what it means to be old, to be poor, and to live with disabilities in our country.

â€Å"Nearly 100 million Americans benefit from comprehensive health coverage from Medicare and Medicaid, with one in four children receiving coverage from Medicaid. Since their creation, life expectancy has increased by seven years and the infant mortality rate has dropped by a dramatic 73 percent.

â€Å"Democrats are proud of the initiatives we created, and recognize their significance to so many Americans. Unfortunately, under President Bush, 5.2 million people have joined the ranks of the uninsured, while only 84 percent of Americans under the age of 65 have health insurance.

â€Å"President Bush and Republicans in Congress chose to write a partisan prescription drug bill favoring special interests, leaving millions of seniors to pay higher out-of-pocket costs or face losing their current health coverage. They have also proposed $45 billion in Medicaid cuts, making tax cuts for the wealthy a higher priority than keeping our nation’s promise to the elderly and disabled.

â€Å"Medicaid and Medicare are initiatives that work. We should be strengthening, not weakening them. As we celebrate their 40th anniversary, we must all work together toward the day when every American family has access to affordable, quality health care for themselves and their children.”