02/11/2026
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Medicare didn't just provide healthcare for seniors. Medicare desegregated American hospitals almost overnight. Here's a powerful piece of history you might not know:
Before 1965, American hospitals were deeply segregated. Black Americans were denied care at white hospitals or sent to inferior “colored” wards. Civil rights activists knew that changing this required more than laws. It required money.
When Medicare launched in 1966, it came with a catch: hospitals had to desegregate everything, wards, waiting rooms, staffing, cafeterias, or lose access to Medicare payments.
By early 1967, 95% of American hospitals were admitting Black patients without discrimination.
Medicare accomplished in months what decades of activism couldn’t. Economic pressure proved to be one of the most powerful tools for civil rights.
Today, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) counselors provide free, unbiased help to Medicare beneficiaries, ensuring they understand their rights and can access the benefits they’re entitled to. From navigating enrollment and comparing plans to appealing denied claims and connecting people with financial assistance, SHIP empowers millions of Americans to make informed health care decisions, continuing the mission for equal access to care that Medicare began.
