Happy birthday, Medicare!

Amelia Havanec

Amelia Havanec Jul 1, 2025

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>Happy birthday, Medicare!</h1>
                <h2><p>Today, Medicare turns the big 5-0. When the health insurance program began rolling out, half of American senior citizens had no other option than to cover their health costs out-of-pocket. Now just 2 percent of people aged 65 and older are uncovered. 54 million Americans are currently enrolled in the</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/amelia-havanec-crosscut-com/">Amelia Havanec</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>Today, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/30/us-health-medicare-idUSKCN0Q41V720150730?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">Medicare</a> turns the big 5-0. When the health insurance program began rolling out, half of American senior citizens had no other option than to cover their health costs out-of-pocket. Now just 2 percent of people aged 65 and older are uncovered. 54 million Americans are currently enrolled in the program and the feedback is mostly positive. Plan to hear more about Medicare in the coming months as the program, however, as it will certainly be a topic of debate in the 2016 presidential race. Jeb Bush's is already <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/24/wonkbook-jeb-bush-wants-to-phase-out-medicare-heres-what-he-meant/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">on record</a> that we need to "phase out" the program.</p>
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Today, Medicare turns the big 5-0. When the health insurance program began rolling out, half of American senior citizens had no other option than to cover their health costs out-of-pocket. Now just 2 percent of people aged 65 and older are uncovered. 54 million Americans are currently enrolled in the program and the feedback is mostly positive. Plan to hear more about Medicare in the coming months as the program, however, as it will certainly be a topic of debate in the 2016 presidential race. Jeb Bush's is already on record that we need to "phase out" the program.

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By Amelia Havanec

Amelia Havanec is Crosscut's Science and Tech Fellow. She came to Washington from her home state of Connecticut by way of New York, Florida, California and Michigan in pursuit of the perfect pint. Sh