New Article and Infographics in JAMA Examine Medicaid and Medicare at 50 Years

The July 28 special issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) includes an article written by Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist, MD, and two infographics from the Foundation that examine the past, present, and future of Medicaid and Medicare.

Medicare and Medicaid at 50 Years: Perspectives of Beneficiaries, Health Care Professionals and Institutions, and Policy Makers examines the roles the two programs play in the health system today from the perspectives of the public and beneficiaries, providers, and policymakers, and discusses the challenges they face in the future. The article is accompanied by an audio interview with Altman and Frist, who is a member of the Foundation’s board of trustees.

The JAMA issue also includes two Visualizing Health Policy infographics from the Foundation. The first infographic provides details about the reach and demographics of Medicaid and Medicare, as well as the spending associated with them. The second infographic illustrates the programs’ trends and challenges going forward.

Visualizing Health Policy is a monthly infographic series produced in partnership with JAMA. The full-size infographics, Medicaid and Medicare at 50 and Trends and Challenges, are freely available on JAMA’s website and are published in the print edition of the journal.

For more information on the 50th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare, visit kff.org.