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In the depression, the elderly were quite dependent on their sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters were out of jobs. The principal problem was medical care costs, not that people couldn't get good care, but it was that they could not afford it. Particularly, they couldn't afford the hospital costs.
There was much of an argument about the need. The argument was what to do about it. They thought it would help elderly people in the South, but what happened was only 32 states had adopted it. And what we showed very clearly was only half the aged had coverage, and most of it was very, very poor coverage. Our older people are three times as often to be hospitalized, but their income is less than half that of people under 65.
One of the traditional methods of imposing socialism has been by way of medicine. It's very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. We wanted the world to know that we haven't forgotten who is the real daddy of Medicare.
The Social Security district offices were kept open into the evenings for people who were still at work. I will submit legislation shortly to help free the elderly from the fear of catastrophic illness. He's supposed to represent the people himself.
Once seniors' annual drug costs exceed $2,250, they fall into the so-called donut hole. Now that the plan is in place, 39 million have signed up for it. Drug costs are less than anticipated. We are done. Beginning next year, preventive care, including annual physicals, wellness exams, and tests like mammograms, will be free for seniors as well.
A lot of care was given that would never have been given if it hadn't been for Medicare.