Medicare and Medicaid at 50

"This book provides keen insights into two pillars of America's health insurance system, Medicare and Medicaid. The essays by leading health policy experts describe fifty years of evolution in these landmark programs. This collection of essays will be an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to understand the history of health policy in the United States." -- Congressman Henry Waxman "Medicare and Medicaid are massive and complex programs that are most often studied in pieces-how this program affects that constituent group, how these providers are reacting to that policy, etc. In this new book, these two programs are examined from the varied perspectives of law, politics, history, economics, and sociology. This kind of eclectic approach is important in developing a deeper understanding of these programs and their potential for the future." -- Darin Gordon, President of the National Association of Medicaid Directors (2013-2014) "In this remarkable collection many of our most distinguished analysts of U.S. health politics and policy offer fresh, provocative, and illuminating commentaries on the origins and development of Medicare and Medicaid in the context of the Affordable Care Act. Scholars, students, and citizens have much to learn from this insightful volume." -- Eric M. Patashnik, Director, Center for Health Policy, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA "This volume, with contributions from the leading practitioners in health policy, does a masterful job of explaining the politics and history of the Medicare and Medicaid programs on the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary. From these perceptive essays, readers learn why Medicare and Medicaid have survived for half a century and why they must figure into any future discussion of health care reform." -- Edward Berkowitz, Professor of History and Public Policy, George Washington University "Fifty years ago, Medicare and Medicaid were enacted to help America meet the moral test of caring for its most vulnerable citizens-the children, the elderly, the sick, the needy, and the disabled. This volume of essays explores whether or not Medicare and Medicaid today remain true to that vision. Written for a general audience, this book is a 'must read' for policymakers and private citizens alike." -- Donald Berwick, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2010-2011) "Health-care policy is as difficult to master as it is vital to the country's future; there is no better place for politicians and students to begin their education on the subject than this judiciously assembled, thoughtfully edited, and lucidly written collection." -- Foreign Affairs "Both serious and casual students of health care policy and medical organization will find this book worthwhile and eminently readable." -the American Library Association