Skip to main content


U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government
              Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
                 A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
                  HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                 A **lock** (A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
  Menu Close
          HHS Search block
    Search
        








  
  
    

  
      

                                      About HHS
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Programs & Services
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Grants & Contracts
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Laws & Regulations Breadcrumb
    Home
                              About
                              News
                              HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Statement Marking 59th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid
 Navigate to:
  News
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Blog
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      HHS Live
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Podcasts
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Media Guidelines for HHS EmployeesText resize icon

                    




**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2024**

        **Contact: 
                                    HHS Press Office**
          202-690-6343media@hhs.gov

          HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Statement Marking 59th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid
    
    

      Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement to mark the 59th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid on July 30, 2024:When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, the United States moved a step closer to being a country where health care was recognized as a right, not treated as a privilege only available to a select few. Today, on the 59th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we honor these two great programs and the role they have played over the past six decades in helping Americans live longer, healthier lives and achieve economic security.At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we have made it a priority to increase access for everyone eligible for coverage. We continue to break barriers when it comes to enrollment, reaching record numbers of health coverage enrollment and the lowest uninsured rate – ever.Thanks to the President’s new lower cost prescription drug law, the lives of Medicare recipients are changing for the better. We have capped the price of insulin at $35 per month; made recommended, preventive vaccines free; and for the first time, Medicare is negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies to bring down the price of prescription drugs.Fewer people with Medicare are being put in the impossible position of having to choose between taking their medication and vaccines and paying for their rent, energy bill, or some other critical expenditure. President Biden and Vice President Harris have not just lowered costs for people with Medicare, they are saving taxpayer dollars so the program will be around for our children and grandchildren.Medicaid provides health insurance for more than 80 million Americans. It is the single largest source of health insurance coverage for our nation’s children, individuals with disabilities, and those that need long term care. It covers nearly half of all births nationally. The health and economic benefits of Medicaid are lifelong: When children have Medicaid, better health outcomes persist through adulthood. Children with Medicaid have improved educational outcomes, contributing to higher rates of employment and earnings as adults. The Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid has reduced mortality and improved financial well-being for the individuals newly gaining coverage and has provided billions in economic benefits to health care providers and state governments.The data are clear: strengthening Medicaid benefits not only the individual, but the community. Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris, we’ve implemented mandatory, national, continuous coverage for children, expanded services through Medicaid in schools, expanded postpartum coverage for women to nearly all states, and finalized new requirements that will ensure better access to care for all those with Medicaid health insurance, in every great state in our nation. We have made care more accessible for the millions of seniors and people with disabilities by increasing funding for home and community-based services.Everyone deserves to go to the doctor when they need to without worries about financial ruin. It is unconscionable that extremists, including Republicans in Congress, continue to propose cuts that would undermine Medicare and Medicaid.Together, Medicare and Medicaid have given millions of Americans access to affordable, quality health care coverage and the peace of mind that comes with it. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting and strengthening these programs and we will continue to expand Medicare and Medicaid to ensure all Americans – no matter who they are or where they live – have access to high-quality, affordable health care.
  

    ###
    Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other news materials are available at https://www.hhs.gov/news.Like HHS on Facebook, follow HHS on Twitter @HHSgov, and sign up for HHS Email Updates.Last revised: July 30, 2024

  
  
  







  Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases

Sign Up







  Subscribe to RSS
    

      Receive latest updates







  Related News Releases
    

      HHS Finalizes New Policies to Support Underserved Communities, Mitigate Drug Shortages, and Promote Patient Safety in Hospitals
  

Biden-Harris Administration Releases Final Part Two Guidance to Help People with Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Manage Prescription Drug Costs
  

HHS Proposes Physician Payment Rule to Drive Whole-Person Care and Improve Health Quality for All Individuals with Medicare

                    
  


Media Inquiries

For general media inquiries, please contact media@hhs.gov.







  Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) Content last reviewed July 30, 2024 Back to top
    Contact HHS
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Careers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      HHS FAQs
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Nondiscrimination NoticeHHS Archive
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Accessibility Statement
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Privacy Policy
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Viewers & PlayersBudget/Performance
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Inspector General
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Web Site Disclaimers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      EEO/No Fear ActFOIA
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      The White House
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      USA.gov
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
        Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases.

Sign Up
  HHS Headquarters
          200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                  Washington, D.C. 20201
                  Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775​ Disclaimer Policy: Links with this icon () mean that you are leaving the HHS website. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot guarantee the accuracy of a non-federal website.
                  Linking to a non-federal website does not mean that HHS or its employees endorse the sponsors, information, or products presented on the website. HHS links outside of itself to provide you with further information.
                  You will be bound by the destination website's privacy policy and/or terms of service when you follow the link.
                  HHS is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on private websites. For more information on HHS's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
 Continue
                  Go back