Medicare had the unseen benefit of allowing medical technology to advance even more in this country than it would have without the program, since it meant more money for research.
Another government program, Medicaid, is a state-run program that receives federal money to meet the health care expenses of poor people, including the elderly, blind, and disabled people and poor families with dependent children. There is also Medigap, which is offered by private insurance companies and covers the deductible and copayments in Part B of Medicaid.
In the 1960s and 70s, the medical profession began to develop into the research-oriented high-tech industry it is today. The logical next step was to involve computer technology, and today new advances in computers as well as in medicine have fueled every big medical breakthrough. Needless to say, hospitals and medical schools have flourished in this new environment. Physicians can use a vast array of tests that are designed to make diagnosis easier and more precise, and, amazingly, there are a number of medications that can be genetically engineered to provide the best treatment for a particular person and his or her condition.
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