Pick 18 - Medicare Card

I got this little card a few years ago and it has been in my wallet ever since. I really did not want to get this card. I had no choice. It was mandated and that brought back memories of another mandated card I got when I was much younger. I had just turned 18 and was told to report to the local Selective Service office in my town to "register for the draft" The elder gentleman I met there was very reassuring and the procedure was painless. He asked a few questions, gave me some documents to sign and in short order I was "registered" It did not mean much to me until a few years later when America drifted into the Viet Nam War. Then it became a constant reminder of how my country viewed young men like me. That card had no hidden value. The only value it later attained came when our leaders realized that having a large pool of young men ready to be pressed into military service was not an open invitation to send us into action just because we were available and generally ready to serve our country. But that is another story and is not suited to this blog. I want to focus on the other mandated card...my Medicare Card.

In 1965, Congress created Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide health insurance to people age 65 and older, regardless of income or medical history. Before Medicare's creation, only half of older adults had health insurance, with coverage either unavailable or unaffordable to the other half. Older adults had half as much income as younger people and paid nearly three times as much for health insurance. Medicare also spurred the integration of thousands of waiting rooms, hospital floors, and physician practices by making payments to health care providers conditional on desegregation.

In 1972, Congress expanded Medicare eligibility to younger people who have permanent disabilities and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments and those who have end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Congress further expanded Medicare in 2001 to cover younger people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Initially Medicare consisted exclusively of Part A, which covers hospital and other inpatient services, and Part B, which covers outpatient care, physician visits, and other “medically necessary services.” Congress then added Medicare Part C (originally called Medicare+Choice, then later changed to Medicare Advantage), which allows enrollees to receive their Medicare benefits through a private plan, under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, while Medicare Part D was created under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.

My Medicare card has abundant  hidden value. I am not talking about the health care benefits. With my Medicare Card in hand I can purchase train tickets and bus tokens at a substantial discount in most cities that have a public transportation system. This card can also be used to obtain those Senior Discounts at movie theaters. restaurants, theme parks, and just about any business that caters to seniors.So although I hate to admit these days that I am "well qualified" to have this mandated card, I must  admit that age has its privileges.

$tokens to Tip the Pickers

1 $token - 1.00 USD3 $tokens - 3.00 USD5 $tokens - 5 USD 12345