Kennedy Discusses Health Care in IOP Speech

In honor of what would have been the 80th birthday of President John F. Kennedy'40, his brother Sen. Edward M. Kennedy'54-'56 (D.-Mass.) spoke at the Institute of Politics last Thursday on the subject on Medicare.

The tribute began with a 12-minute video of clips from speeches by the former president and was titled, "The Case for Medicare."

In one clip, John Kennedy, who is a former Crimson executive, said, "The mission of the U.S. must be to not only add to the years of the lives [of those age 65 and over] but to add life to those years."

The highlight of the afternoon's speeches was Sen. Kennedy's address. He outlined the five major points he would like to see Medicare address. These include: better adoption and dissemination of effective new treatments; improved delivery of outpatient and preventive care to the elderly; and encouraging the elderly to adopt healthier lifestyles.

In addition, Sen. Kennedy pushed for increased investment in medical research and improved medicare benefits.

However, Robert Ball, the U.S. commissioner of social security from 1962-1973 and another speaker at the event, stressed that "pragmatism" was also important in any Medicare bill that would face Congress.

He recalled that the Medicare bill first proposed in 1952 did not pass Congress until 1965.

"It took the election of John F. Kennedy to develop a practical proposal and take it to the edge of adoption," he said.

The audience included Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, her husband and Joseph S. Nye, Jr., dean of the Kennedy School. John F. Kennedy, Jr. moderated the event.

--Shira A. Springer contributed to the reporting of this story.