1. By: Kevin Tang

2.  -Senator Robert Wagner tries to pass National Health Act of 1939. Fails.  -On November 19, 1945,President Truman outlined a comprehensive, prepaid medical insurance plan for all people through the Social Security system.  -In 1965, the President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Act, which included the Medicare and Medicaid bill.  -In 1972, Nixon signs the Social Security Amendments of 1972, which extended Medicare eligibility to 65.

3.  -In 1977, the Health Care Financing Administration was created under HEW to effectively coordinate Medicare and Medicaid.  -In 1980, HEW was divided into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  -The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 establishes the Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary eligibility group requiring state Medicaid programs to cover premiums for Medicare beneficiaries.  The Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 attempts to slow the growth of Medicare spending and constrain the federal deficit.

4.  -The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 added a drug benefit to Medicare, a limit on out-of-pocket expenses, and expanded hospital and nursing facility benefits. Repealed in 1989  -President Clinton signed the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA). It established changes to slow the growth of Medicare, the Medicare +Choice program, and a new State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  -On December 8, 2003 President George W. Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act into law.  -The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), was enacted in 2010.

5.  Covers 45 million Americans  Account for 23% of federal spending this year.  Costs outgrowing budget due to increased enrollment and medical inflation  Under current law, the two programs will account for 28% in 2021  In April, Obama revealed a framework of cuts for deficit reduction in Medicare and Medicaid that would save $480 billion by 2023

6.  Raising the age from 65 to 67  Major reforms to save billions, potentially trillions  No age change  Less steep cuts on health care Overall, there is a consensus that health care should be reform to reduce deficit spending, but HOW to reform Medicare/Medicaid is a major issue.

7.  Expand coverage to everyone  Strengthen Medicare while improving efficiency (to cut deficit)  Tax cuts and credits to help families pay for health insurance

8.  Support health care reforms that lower cost and preserve quality  Oppose government-run health care

9.  Repeal Obamacare  Tax deduction to those who buy their own health insurance  Make health care more like a market  Believes in the Ryan Plan

10.  Stimulate job creation so more Americans are covered by employer- sponsored health plans  Repeal Obamacare  Opposes government- run healthcare

11.  Repeal Obamacare  Voted Yes for Ryan Plan  Push for greater competition in health care market

12.  Bell, Peter A. "History of Medicare and Medicaid." N.d. Microsoft PowerPoint file.  "Health Care." Issues. Republican National Committee, 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..  Kaiser Family Foundation, comp. "1965-2009." Medicare: A Timeline of Key Developments. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..  "Medicare." Health. The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..  OnTheIssues.org, comp. "Health Care." OnTheIssues. OnTheIssues.org, 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..  Pear, Robert. "Democrats See Perils on Path to Health Cuts." The New York Times 13 Sept. 2011: A1. The New York Times. Web. 15 Sept. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/us/politics/ obamas-expected-plan-for  RickPerry.org. "Healthcare." Rick Perry for President 2012. RickPerry.org, 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..  Romney for President. "Health Care." Mitt Romney for President. Romney for President, 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..  Spears, Michael D. "Is the Ryan Budget a Litmus Test for 2012 Republicans?" The Caucus. The New York Times, 20 May 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..-entitlement-savings-worries-democrats.html>.  "We Stand for Health Care." Democrats. Democratic National Committee, 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2011..