History of Medicare and Medicaid programs
Medicare and Medicaid programs were signed into law on July 30, 1965. Congressional Democrats began to advocate for health coverage for the elderly in the late 1950s. In 1962, President Kennedy supported legislation (Medicare) for hospital coverage for seniors under Social Security, but opposing southern Democrats in the House blocked it. President Johnson made Medicare his highest legislative priority and acted quickly. Medicare was then implemented in 1966 and more than 19 million individuals enrolled on July 1.
In 1972, Medicare eligibility was extended to individuals under age 65 with long-term disabilities and to individuals with end-stage renal disease.
In 1973, the HMO Act provided for start-up grants and loans for the development of health maintenance organizations.
In 1980, coverage of Medicare home health services was broadened. Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) was brought under Federal oversight.
In 1986, Medicaid coverage for pregnant women and infants up to 1 year of age was established as a state option. In 1990, Medicaid coverage for children ages 6 through 18 under 100% below the Federal Poverty Level was established.
In 2003, the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) was implemented. This was one of the most significant changes to Medicare since its inception. The MMA created a prescription drug discount card until 2006. In 2006, the new voluntary Part D outpatient prescription drug benefit was made available to beneficiaries from private drug plans as well as Medicare Advantage plans.
The Future of Health Care?? 
With a new president in office, there has been much discussion about health care reform. How can we provide health security for Americans?
An interesting option is something labeled "health-status insurance". University of Chicago economist, John Cochrane, recently analyzed how health status insurance might work. Market based lifetime health insurance has two components: medical insurance and health status insurance. Medical insurance covers your medical expenses in the current year, minus deductibles and copayments. Health status insurance covers the risk that your medical premiums will rise. If a person develops a chronic medical condition, it basically insures the fact that you can be insured in the future. Under Cochrane's proposal, if an insured person develops an expensive chronic condition, a lump-sum payment would be deposited into a health status insurance account that would be available only to pay medical insurance premiums. (The money would be restricted to only insurance use.)
Creating and selling separate health-status insurance policies would mean that medical insurance companies would no longer have an incentive not to insure sick people. Instead, because those with pre-existing conditions would have the funds to pay higher premiums, insurers would compete for their business.
Health status insurance would also remove the "employer" element in the equation. Employees would always have the ability to purchase medical insurance. For example, a worker who has been diagnosed with diabetes would receive a lump-sum payment in his health-status insurance account. That means he can switch jobs without worrying about whether or not he can obtain medical insurance.
For those people who already are sick, the government could consider depositing money into the health-status accounts of people with pre-existing conditions who would then purchase medical insurance.
Insurance is already moving in this direction. The UnitedHealth Group is already offering a Continuity policy that guarantees purchasers the right to buy an individual medical insurance policy in the future even if they become sick.
MEDICAL NEWS 
April is Stress Awareness Month
For the 17th consecutive year, April has been designated Stress Awareness Month.
Sponsored by the Health Resource Network, a non-profit health education organization, Stress Awareness Month is a national, cooperative effort to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.
What are the physical dangers of stress??
Stress begins in the brain, with a surge of hormones causing intense alertness. In this increased alerted state, we cannot relax or sleep. But our minds cannot function at this extreme level for prolonged periods. Eventually the hormone surges and exhaustion causes tension headaches, irritability, aggression, inability to concentrate and memory loss. Stress also curbs the production of the hormones that energize us and make us feel well.
One of the things we do when we feel stressed is to hyperventilate. It is part of the body's fight or flight response in case we are in danger or in need of oxygen. Those quick breaths can cause dizziness and sharp pains in the diaphragm. Severe stress can also aggravate asthma and other dangerous respiratory conditions.
The heart under stress pumps fast and hard. Blood pressure rises as the body produces the hormone epinephrine as well as the hormone cortisol. That can lead to heart palpitations and chest pains. In those with heart disease, stress can prevent blood from clotting properly and stimulate the formation of plaque that plugs arteries. Researchers say that even thinking about something stressful can raise blood pressure.
Extreme and constant stress lowers our white blood cell count, altering our immune system, making us more susceptible to disease and hampering our body's ability to heal itself.
Under stress, the brain shifts blood flow away from the digestive tract, which slows digestion. The result: indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, incontinence and colon spasms. Stress increases acid production, aggravating ulcers. It is also linked to colitis and irritable bowel syndrome.
How to relieve stress??
Just 40 to 60 minutes of exercise three times per week triggers hormones that relax the body and boost the immune system.
Watch your diet. Eating food high in protein during the day to keep you satisfied and alert. Fruits and vegetables will help counter stress effects on skin and hair. Dairy products help protect bones.
Relax. Allot some time to have fun. Find things that help to relieve your tension - massages, meditation, playing games, reading a book.
This newsletter is not intended to give advice on health issues. If you have a health concern, please see your physician.
