Medicare and the End of Hate, Circa 1965

The bloviating right wing talk show crowd is apoplectic because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada had the temerity to tell the truth. Reid said:

Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, ’slow down, stop everything, let’s start over.’

If you think you’ve heard these same excuses before, you’re right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said ’slow down, it’s too early, things aren’t bad enough.’

When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today.

Woo-eeee. There's some historical perspective, eh?

Yes, the Republicans opposed Medicare and Medicaid back in 1965, and they opposed Social Security back in 1935.

They opposed OSHA and wage and hour laws too. They opposed the 40-hour work week, and they opposed putting an end to child labor.

Bottom line: If you enjoy your weekends off, be sure to thank a Democrat.

All of this to say I got a call this afternoon from an old friend who I had shouldered together with in the health care trenches back in the Clinton era.

He said that back then I had once told him that before Medicare was enacted into law in 1965, all of the Southern hospitals and doctors offices had been segregated, but afterwards they were all integrated.

Did I remember that? Was it true?

Nope, I did not remember saying it.

But YES, it is true. Former Health, Education, and Welfare Undersecretary Wilbur Cohen tells the story:

On the day before Medicare went into effect, every hospital in the South, over every drinking fountain, over every bathroom, over every cafeteria, there were signs reading "Whites" and "Colored" for separate and presumably equal facilities. On the day that Medicare went into effect in the South, all those signs and separate facilities began to come down. In one day, Medicare and Medicaid broke the back of the segregated health services.

A little history and a little perspective as we stand on the cusp of passing national health care legislation. History is happening. What side are you on?
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