Medicare and Medicaid are a Model for the Future of the Affordable Care Act

The history of Medicare and Medicaid indicates that the ACA will grow and evolve within the nation’s health care framework.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which introduced Medicare and Medicaid into the American health care system. The programs currently enjoy widespread public support, with the majority of Americans indicating that Medicare and Medicaid, respectively, are “important to them and their family.” But the popularity of these programs stands in stark contrast to the political resistance they faced before their passage.

Just as it did with Medicare and Medicaid, the political conversation surrounding the ACA must move beyond repeal and turn toward serious debates about how to improve and shape health care for future generations.

For more on this idea, please see:

The 50th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid: Providing Hope for the ACA’s Future by Justin Morgan

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