Medicare marks 60 years of service this July

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy recommended that people on Social Security should also get medical benefits. It took many months of arguing and bargaining in Congress and finally, on July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law creating Medicare. President Johnson handed the first two Medicare cards to former President Harry Truman and his wife, Bess, and more than 19 million Americans enrolled in the program.

Medicare has transformed healthcare for older people for the better. In 1972, President Nixon extended Medicare to people under age 65 who have long-term disabilities or chronic renal disease. In 1999, Medicare Advantage Plans were born to help cover some benefits that Medicare does not cover.

To learn more about Medicare, contact the insurance broker Sandra Teel at 681-4467135 or 909-856-9379, or email Steelmedagent@gmail.com.

—Sandra Teel