Opening Session on Medicare at 50 at NASI 2015 Annual Conference on Medicare and Medicaid: The Next 50 Years

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed landmark legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid, key elements of his administration’s vision of the “Great Society.” Now reaching their 50th anniversaries, these health programs have become integrally woven into the American social fabric and have evolved over the years. These programs face more changes on the horizon as the nation faces new political, medical, demographic, and technical challenges and opportunities. The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), the nation’s leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other vital programs, will address some of these challenges at an annual meeting in January. Since its founding in 1986, NASI’s annual conferences have offered visionary perspectives, leadership, and rigorous inquiry addressing how American social insurance programs can best meet the changing needs of the people.