This summer, Medicare and Medicaid celebrated their 50th Anniversary. Before the advent of Medicare, half of our nation’s seniors had no health insurance. Can you imagine? That’s HALF of our parents, grandparents, and other “less young” loved ones with NO health insurance.
Before Medicaid, many Americans couldn’t afford the medical care they needed to stay healthy. Medicaid has covered millions of children, pregnant women, hard-working low-income adults and people living with disabilities, providing essential medical services such as annual check-ups, care for pregnant women, and dental treatment for kids. But unfortunately, millions of Americans without health insurance remained ineligible for Medicare or Medicaid, and couldn’t see a doctor when they were sick or afford the treatment they needed.
Forty-five long years after the advent of Medicare and Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed. Since 2013, ACA has dramatically expanded health insurance coverage and decreased the number of uninsured by one-third to the lowest rate since 1972.
Despite this progress, more work must be done. Twenty states still refuse to expand Medicaid, leaving millions without health coverage, including over 3.5 million uninsured people in my home state of Florida.
To get elected, I need your help. Please contribute today to put a Doctor in the House who will fight for your health!
