July 08, 2015

Medicare Celebrations Coming Up

Texas Alliance members are at the National Alliance for Retired Americans Legislative Conference in Washington DC July 7-10. We heard from Max Fine, who began working on Medicare under President Johnson in 1962. Johnson credited us, our predecessor organization, with providing the energy to get Medicare passed in 1965. Celebrations of the anniversary are being set up around July 30.

Health Care for All, an organization based in Houston, sent this:

This is a Special Month!

On July 30, 1965 President, Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law. Health Care for All – Texas joins with people around the nation to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Medicare and commit ourselves to strengthening, protecting and expanding the program that has saved countless lives and prevented the impoverishment of so many.

Things to remember about Medicare:

1.  Medicare provides comprehensive health care for 46 million seniors and 9 million people with disabilities.
2.  Medicare is not the cause of high health care costs. It is the victim of rising health care costs. Medicare costs have risen slower than the costs of private health insurance.
3.  Medicare desegregated hospitals across the country.
4.  Medicare pays for the education of doctors by subsidizing residency programs.
5.  Medicare is a social insurance program paid for by us that Saves Lives!

Improving Medicare by covering more services and eliminating co-pays and deductibles and then extending it to everyone would provide universal Comprehensive Care for much less than we pay now. It is the only ethical way to provide healthcare. The way we can afford it as a society.

Support an event near you to protect, improved and expand Medicare:

• Thursday, July 23rd at 11 AM – Lunch and Discussion with UAW President Mary Holomek at 98 W Hurst Blvd in Hurst, Texas. (RSVP Gene Lantzlabordallas@sbcglobal.net or 214-729-0063)

• Saturday, July 25th 10:30 AM to 1 PM – Celebrate with Food, Music, Poetry and speakers at 4818 E Ben White Blvd., Austin, Texas (RSVP Glenn Scott atglenns1048@yahoo.com)

• Thursday, July 30th 12:30 PM – Celebrate Medicare’s Anniversary and Fight to Save it from Congressional Cuts at 334  Centre at Bishop, Dallas, Texas (contact Gene Lantz labordallas@sbcglobal.net or 214-729-0063)

• Thursday, July 30th 1:00 to 3:00PM – Celebrate Medicare’s 50th Anniversary at Café Mayapán, 2000 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX

• Thursday, July 30th  11:30 to 1:00PM – Hospital Cafeterias in the Texas Medical Center exact locations to be announced, “As American as Apple PIE, Protect, Improve & Expand Medicare” Houston, Texas (contact info@hcfat.org or 713-570-6242)

• Or Go to Washington DC for the Healthcare Justice March – Saturday, August 1st http://healthcarejusticemarch.org

Let’s get as many Medicare celebrations as possible! Let’s re-commit ourselves to preserving and expanding Medicare!

Thanks

Gene Lantz

President, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans