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The information source for Medicare information
By Jakob Jelling In simpler terms, Medicare is a federal program aimed at providing medical care for the older population above 65 years of age and those who are disabled. It came into being in 1965 as a result of the passing of Social Security Amendments legislation by President Lyndon Johnson. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - a department of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – administers Medicare. Old age can be a really tough phase in one’s life. It is when one loses the agility and speed of mind of the youth and every physical function seems to forget to find its response in time. As young people, they have contributed to the country and at their old age, it is the duty of the nation to take care of them. It was this thought process that eventually resulted in Medicare. Support for the disabled was added to the clause in 1973. Medicare is a basic health insurance program in which all those who have enrolled are protected against major costs resulting from hospital and related care, which includes everything from skilled nursing facility to hospice care and home health. It also involves a supplementary medical insurance program by which persons are aided in paying all forms of healthcare bills in terms of doctors' services, wheelchairs and laboratory and x-ray services. Medicare is funded through a tax on the employee earnings that is matched by the employer and the premiums paid by those who have enrolled. Now there are over 50 million Americans enrolled in the Medicare program. The federal healthcare program subsidizes people who agree with any of these criteria. - A person who is aged above 65 years and who is a US citizen or a legal
resident for at least five years. - A person who has a failed kidney and the medical condition demands dialysis frequently. - An individual who is crippled by ALS-Lou Gehrig's disease. Beyond these, Medicare reaches out to people at a time in their lives when they may be having serious healthcare issues but not be able to fund for the treatment. When Medicare was introduced in 1965 after much delay and discussions, it was a significant step towards extending medical care to the aging population of America. But after 40 years now, it still leaves some glaring loopholes when it comes to addressing some uncommon scenarios. It fails to provide comprehensive coverage as well as providing cover for those below 65 and not younger enough. Also, the percentage of cost covered by Medicare for those enrolled stands at a paltry 56%, the data being the outcome of a research conducted by a non-profit organization. In order to address the chunks in the present Social Security system, some sort of revamp is definitely a requirement. Let us hope that it soon happens in the right direction.
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