The History Of Medicare And The Social Security Act

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The passage of Medicare and Medicaid had a storied history before it crushed the walls that had separated the federal government and the U.S. healthcare system. Historically, the prevailing thought of many Americans up until the 1920’s and 1930’s was that medical care was largely a private transaction between a medical practitioner and a patient. This doctor-patient relationship was sacred and there was no need for the federal government to intervene in this relationship (Berkowitz, E., 2005). The Social Security Act of 1935, signed into law by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), gave rise to many of the federal and state†¦show more content†¦The Second World War time-period influenced the transitioning attitudes of Federal officials working in Washington and administering the programs created by the Social Security Act. Come 1939, Europe had entered World War II and the U.S. entered the war at the end of 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Federal officials started favoring the Federal government instead of the States as preferred administrators of health insurance and other forms of social insurance (Martin, P. P., Weaver, D. A., 2004). Some programs, such as unemployment insurance, were run by the States with Federal oversight, whereas other programs were administered at the Federal level, such as â€Å"old-age† insurance. As time passed, States became regarded by Federal officials as â€Å"unreliable and inefficient partners† (Martin, P. P., Weaver, D. A., 2004). President Harry Truman publicly endorsed support following legislative proposals for national health insurance both in 1945 and 1948. These legislations now featured Federal rather than State administration. National health insurance transitioned from being formerly linked with the States and the unemployment insurance program, to now being associated with the old-age insurance or the Social Security program (Martin, P. P., Weaver, D. A., 2004). Unfortunately for President Truman, timing was not on hisShow MoreRelatedEssay on Social Security1184 Words   |  5 Pages Social Security nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Social Security is a public program designed to provide income and services to individuals in the event of retirement, sickness, disability, death, or unemployment. In the United States, the word social security refers to the programs established in 1935 under the Social Security Act. Societies throughout history have devised ways to support people who cannot support themselves. In 1937 the government began issuing Social Security identification cardsRead MoreU.s. 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