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In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law with President Harry Truman, a longtime advocate for the program and the ostensible originator of the concept, proudly looking onwards. At the time of the signing Johnson boldly remarked,“No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime so that they might enjoy dignity in their later years.” Unfortunately the Medicare program that Johnson signed into law today exposes beneficiaries to high costs that many cannot afford. Medicare requires significant out-of-pocket outlays including a $1500 deductible for inpatient care (in addition to coinsurance for long inpatient stays); a monthly meanstested part B premium for physician services that can range from $0 to $594/month (average $174.70); 20% coinsurance for part B …