As late as 1956, only 56 percent of America's seniors had insurance for hospital care. They often had to choose between saving their health-or spending all they had saved. But when President Johnson signed Medicare into law, he changed what it meant to grow old in America. Medicare promised the best health care in the world for older Americans. And for nearly 35 years, our nation has recognized that we must keep this promise-especially for our older women.
Women have longer life spans than men.
Elderly women are nearly twice as likely to be poor as other seniors. They comprise the majority of our nursing home population. And nearly three- quarters of all Medicare beneficiaries over age 85 are women. For older women, Medicare isn't just a support system-it's a lifeline. From the very beginning, this Administration has worked to ensure that the lifeline isn't broken.