Universal healthcare for the United States has been a work in progress for many years. Since the United States doesn’t have universal health care, we refer to the Medicare and Medicaid system. Medicare is referred to as “the universal health insurance for elderly people” (Barr, 2011, pg.132). Medicare is a federal program that helps all people 65 years or older pay for healthcare. Those who qualify for Social Security benefits are automatically eligible for Medicare (Barr, 2011). When Medicare was passed in 1965, only 56 percent of elderly people have hospital insurance. It was a strong national consensus that none of the elderly in United States should face financial ruins because serious illnesses were seen as a threat to financial security of seniors (Barr, 2011). Due to that reason, Medicare was created to ensure financial stability. Not only does Medicare cover people 65 years and older, but it also covers individuals with certain disabilities, and individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease that requires dialysis or transplant (Medicare.gov). Unlike Medicare, Medicaid was not created as a program for all people who fall below that poverty line. It only covers certain subgroups of poor people (Barr, 2011). Medicaid provides medical benefits to groups of low-income people, some who may have no medical insurance or inadequate medical insurance, health care to children, pregnant women, parents, senior, and individuals with disabilities (Medicaid.gov).

Medicare is made up of four different parts: part A, B, C, and D. Medicare part A is a service plan for hospital care. All people eligible receives any necessary hospital care, paid for by the government, but patients are still responsible for deductible payments that equal roughly to the cost of the first day of hospitalization. After the deductible amount, all hospital costs are paid for my Medicare for up to 60