SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Medicare turns 50 on Thursday.
Jeff Hinson with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says before Medicare Americans lived in constant fear of injury or illness.
Hinson says even if you could afford insurance companies could refuse to sell you coverage. He says there were no exceptions for disabilities, low income families were just out of luck, pregnant women and children from low income households were simply unable to afford medical care.
Hinson says today 55 million people are covered by Medicare and 65 million by Medicaid.
10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day.