Rep. Johnson highlights 48th anniversary of Medicare

Congressman: Affordable Care Act has improved Medicare, including providing $198 million in Rx drug savings for seniors in GA

WASHINGTON, D.C.– This week, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) marked the 48th anniversary of the enactment of Medicare. President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law on July 30, 1965.

“Today, we celebrate the tremendous success of Medicare in providing seniors and people with disabilities with health care security. Medicare is one of the proudest achievements of the Democratic Party, as it has transformed the lives of seniors for generations. Democrats will continue to work to strengthen Medicare and ensure that it remains a bedrock promise for future generations,” stated Rep. Johnson.

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This spring, Republicans once again passed a House GOP budget that ends Medicare as we know it and turns this sacred initiative into a privatized voucher plan, increasing future health costs for seniors by thousands of dollars.

“On the 48th anniversary of the enactment of Medicare, I will stand with our seniors and recommit to rejecting plans that will end Medicare as we know it and increase costs,” said Rep. Johnson.

“Democrats have also been working to strengthen Medicare,” Rep. Johnson said. “The Affordable Care Act contains several provisions to improve Medicare and strengthen its solvency. The Act extends the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by nearly a decade. It also has created significant savings for many seniors by providing discounts on their drugs for those in the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ coverage gap and also providing free Medicare coverage for key preventive services.”

Since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, people with Medicare in Georgia have saved $198 million on prescription drugs. In 2012 alone, nearly 100,000 individuals in Georgia saved $73 million, or an average of more than $730 per enrollee. Furthermore, in 2012 alone, 750,000 individuals in Georgia with traditional Medicare achieved savings by using one or more free preventive services.

“As we celebrate the anniversary of Medicare, I am determined to continue to strengthen and enhance Medicare,” Rep. Johnson concluded. “Over the last 48 years, Democrats have fought vigorously to enact Medicare, protect Medicare, and strengthen Medicare and we will not stop.”

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