Medicare is a social policy that many of our seniors look to for stability as they reach age 65. Before Medicare, barely half of the population aged 65 and older had health insurance, and among those who did, coverage was repeatedly reduced. Individuals whose health had worsened could have their coverage terminated or their premiums increased (Aaron & Lambrew, 2008). Started in 1965 as part of the Social Security Act, Medicare's main goal is to offer financial protection against the amount paid by people age 65 and older for hospital and doctor care. Medicare's core coverage continued to focus on 60 days of hospitalization and 60 days of nursing home care, and coverage for medical bills was even an optional part of the plan. The elderly were the main target of coverage and the social security approach was to be used as a framework for financing (Kronenfeld, 2011). In 1972, benefits were extended to younger individuals with permanent disabilities. Today, Medicare is a health care resource for 45 million people, including 7 million people under age 65 and with disabilities (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). Medicare Part A now includes any person age sixty-five or older who has worked for ten or more years. more years subject to payroll taxes. This coverage also includes current and former spouses at age sixty-five. For the most part, the Medicare population is composed of white women, aged sixty-five to eighty-four, in good or moderate health, and living with a spouse (Aaron & Lambrew, 2008). Older people who only benefit from Medicare are likely to visit the doctor less, have fewer hospital admissions and purchase smaller quantities of prescribed drugs... the focus of the document... disciplinary perspective. (9th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.Kronenfeld, J.J., (2011). Health and medical problems today: Medicare. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. Medicare: Past, Present, and Future. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/medicare-past-present-and-future/16235/Social Security Administration. (2013). Social Security: Medicare. Retrieved from http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdfStefanacci, R.G. (2013). Looking ahead to issues affecting geriatric care in 2013. Annals of long-term care: Clinical care and aging. 2013, 21(11):46-50.Zuckerman, S., Waidmann, T., Berenson, R., & Hadley, J. (2010). Clarifying the sources of geographic differences in health spending. New England Journal of Medicine; 363:54-62.doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa0909253