Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary | https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/andrea-palm.html
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released a statement marking the 59th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid on July 30, 2024.
"When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, the United States moved a step closer to being a country where health care was recognized as a right, not treated as a privilege only available to a select few," Becerra stated. "Today, on the 59th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we honor these two great programs and the role they have played over the past six decades in helping Americans live longer, healthier lives and achieve economic security."
Becerra highlighted efforts by HHS to increase access for eligible individuals, noting record numbers of health coverage enrollment and historically low uninsured rates. He also mentioned recent legislative measures that have impacted Medicare recipients positively.
"Thanks to the President’s new lower cost prescription drug law, the lives of Medicare recipients are changing for the better," he said. "We have capped the price of insulin at $35 per month; made recommended, preventive vaccines free; and for the first time, Medicare is negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies to bring down the price of prescription drugs."
Becerra emphasized that fewer people with Medicare face difficult financial decisions regarding their healthcare needs due to these changes. He credited President Biden and Vice President Harris with lowering costs for beneficiaries while saving taxpayer dollars.
Turning to Medicaid, Becerra underscored its importance as it provides health insurance for more than 80 million Americans. "It is the single largest source of health insurance coverage for our nation’s children, individuals with disabilities, and those that need long-term care," he remarked.
He praised Medicaid's positive impact on lifelong health outcomes and educational achievements among children covered by the program. The Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid has reduced mortality rates and improved financial stability for newly insured individuals while offering significant economic benefits to healthcare providers and state governments.
"The data are clear: strengthening Medicaid benefits not only the individual but also the community," Becerra stated. He detailed various initiatives under President Biden and Vice President Harris's administration aimed at expanding coverage and improving services through Medicaid.
"Everyone deserves to go to the doctor when they need to without worries about financial ruin," he concluded. "It is unconscionable that extremists, including Republicans in Congress, continue to propose cuts that would undermine Medicare and Medicaid."
In his closing remarks, Becerra reiterated the commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration to protect and strengthen both programs ensuring access to high-quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.
