Posted on Jul 30, 2025
President Johnson signs Medicare into law | July 30, 1965 | HISTORY
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On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry Truman was enrolled as Medicare’s first beneficiary and received the first Medicare card.
Johnson wanted to recognize Truman, who, in 1945, had become the first president to propose national health insurance, an initiative that was opposed at the time by Congress.
Johnson wanted to recognize Truman, who, in 1945, had become the first president to propose national health insurance, an initiative that was opposed at the time by Congress.
President Johnson signs Medicare into law | July 30, 1965 | HISTORY
Posted from history.com
Healthcare
Leadership
Posted 4 mo ago
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As I look at the development of health care in this country, I think the most serious part of increased costs is for profit hospitals. While the price has increased the level of care has not
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Sgt David Ray
In the 1980s-90s, malpractice lawsuits against doctors started naming the hospitals too, claiming that the hospital was to blame for allowing the doctor to treat patients there. This even when the doctor was not an employee, but only allowed “privileges”. The point was that hospitals, especially city or county owned, had deeper pockets than doctors. The lawyers could demand bigger settlements. Local governments and some charities that operated hospitals were scared into selling them. Since those hospitals operated at or below cost, they helped keep prices down. When they were sold to for-profit companies, prices went up.
Insurance companies are non-productive. Their profits are money taken out of the equation without providing any medical treatment.
I saw a tv report about 3 clinics that merged. The combined clinic had 4 doctors, 4 nurses, and 7 people doing “coding and billing“. There were nearly as many people shuffling paper as treating patients. Those paper-shufflers get paid too.
Insurance companies are non-productive. Their profits are money taken out of the equation without providing any medical treatment.
I saw a tv report about 3 clinics that merged. The combined clinic had 4 doctors, 4 nurses, and 7 people doing “coding and billing“. There were nearly as many people shuffling paper as treating patients. Those paper-shufflers get paid too.
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