Healthcare

We plan to go into Bethesda Naval Hospital Tuesday afternoon, will spend the afternoon and evening there and will undergo surgery early Wednesday morning.

I am happy this morning to announce the appointment of Dr. Donald S. Frederickson, who was formerly Clinical Director of the Heart Institute.

I wanted you to know that my doctors have recommended that I undergo surgery to repair a defect at the site of the incision made during the gallbladder operation a year ago.

After final discussions with Dr. Burkley in Seoul, Korea, on Tuesday, I accepted his recommendation that the operation take place within 15 or 18 days from now.

We amass knowledge in the sciences to eradicate killing and crippling diseases.

I should like for this period of the 20th century to be remembered as the period when we produced more food to feed more people--because food is the necessary sustaining ingredient for all the other things-the period when we spent more…

In a little more than a fortnight, for the first time in the history of America, every senior American will be able to receive hospital care--not as a ward of the State, not as a charity case, but as an insured patient.

In a few days I am going to write a letter to the Secretary of HEW asking him to set up a very special group to make a very special study about what we can do in the twilight period of peoples' lives in this country.

Medical care will free millions from their miseries.

We hope that never again will an older American need to go without basic medical care simply because he can't afford it.

I do not see Medicare as a problem.

Together we will guarantee older Americans the care that they need and the care that they deserve.

I am concerned not only that we be ready to launch Medicare on July 1.

Our abilities to conquer pain and disease has increased dramatically.

In my Baltimore declaration of April of last year, I said to the people of the world how much we would welcome taking some of the funds that we are now spending in bombs and bullets and putting in efforts to rid that area of disease and…

Medicare promises a dramatic step toward a better life for all older Americans.

Today we can set ambitious goals for the future:--full education for every citizen to the limits of his capacity to absorb it;--good health for every citizen to the limits of our country's capacity to provide it.

To bring every child the care he needs to develop his capacity to the fullest.