subject: The History Of Medicare And The Rise Of Medicare Supplement Plans [print this page] Medicare has become an integral part of the social insurance program of the United States. For years, Medicare has benefited millions of Americans, covering their health needs from hospitalization to prescription medicines. More than just a social insurance program, Medicare has become a subject of debate amongst policymakers, especially in trying to court the votes of the populace.
The concept of national health insurance such as Medicare traces its origins from the early 1900s. It was only during the administration of President Harry S. Truman in the mid-1950s up to the early 1960s that the whole issue of health insurance came into prominence. National health care coverage finally became a cornerstone of American social security policy when amendments to social legislation was pushed by the United States Congress and was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson as the Social Security Act of 1965 on July 30, 1965. President Truman, then already a senior statesman, became the first beneficiary of Medicare.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency under the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is tasked to oversee the administration of the Medicare program. Medicare, from its institution in 1965, has been of good use to a lot of Americans. However, with the rising costs of health care and the growing number of senior Americans, concerns on whether or not Medicare can still cover the health care costs of all have risen.
Such concerns compelled some Americans to supplement Medicare with Medicare supplement plans. Private insurers competed with each other, each claiming that it offers the best Medicare supplement plan that citizens can have.
However, more than just a supplement for Medicare, best Medicare supplement plans take into consideration a persons budget. How can an ordinary American be given guaranteed quality health care access if Medicare supplement plans are expensive? Budget and the capacity to cover everything are two things people are looking at when it comes to Medicare supplement plans.
Best Medicare supplement plans are not meant to take the place of Medicare. Instead, they are there to give Americans a guarantee that, aside from Medicare, they have something else to bank on. Backup plans are good, thus making Medicare supplement plans a very practical choice for everyone.
