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1. Medicare provides comprehensive health care coverage for seniors. Since its creation in
1965, Medicare has provided universal health care to millions of seniors.
2.#^&#^&#^&#^&Medicare provides health security for seniors. Today only 2% of the elderly lack health
insurance compared to 48% in 1962, before we had Medicare.
3.#^&#^&#^&#^&Medicare provides free preventive health screenings. Seniors do not pay for Mammograms,
Diabetes or Cancer screenings thanks to provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
4.#^&#^&#^&#^&Medicare provides 41.8 million seniors prescription drug coverage through Part D.
The program will be even better when, thanks to the ACA, the Part D coverage gap known as the “donut
hole” will be phased out by 2020.
5. 9 million disabled Americans receiving Social Security benefits also receive health coverage through
Medicare.
6.#^&#^&#^&#^&Medicare’s costs rise slower than private insurance. Medicare spending per enrollee grew at
an average annual rate of 7.5% between 1969 and 2013, slower than the 9.1% growth rate in private
health insurance.
7.#^&#^&#^&#^&Medicare is efficient. Only 1% of traditional Medicare is overhead compared to 6% for privatized
Medicare.
8. #^&#^& Medicare promotes greater health equity in America. Medicare provides older people of
color, who are more likely to have lower incomes and therefore less able to save for health care costs, with a
critical economic lifeline.
9. #^&#^&#^&We earn our Medicare coverage. Medicare isn’t welfare. American workers’ payroll taxes fund
hospital, skilled nursing, home health and hospice care and premiums cover a portion of the costs for
physician visits, outpatient visits and preventive services.
10. Medicare is a social insurance program that works. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why
Medicare is universally cherished is that in return for the contributions we make during our
working years we receive guaranteed health benefits.
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