Janice Schakowsky: “One of the great things that you pointed out is that Medicare was passed in 1965, but we continue to work to improve it…”

“One of the great things that you pointed out is that Medicare was passed in 1965, but we continue to work to improve it, to make it better, to even expand the coverage so that it is more affordable for the elderly. This is a work in progress. It's really been a job that has been the life's work of the Democratic Party for generations to make sure that Medicare really does do what it needs. When Medicare first came into being in 1965, prescription drugs were actually a very small part of the whole health care cost. Now they are at the center--front and center, often--of extending life, of making life more livable, of preventing death, and so we work to find all the ways that we can perfect what has been a very successful program. I want to once again just make sure that people see the advantages to older Americans, how health care reform means security and stability for America's seniors, extends the life--that's what solvency means-- extends the life of Medicare, lower seniors' cost for prescription drugs, improves the quality of seniors' care with better coordination among doctors, trains more primary care doctors so there will be access when we add more people to health care.”