Looking Ahead After 50 Years of Medicare

Fifty years of Medicare have led to enormous improvements in care of older adults in the United States. Policy changes in Medicare and Medicaid have undergirded the care of older adults and the workforce and professional development of nurses and advanced practice nurses. Refl ecting on the decades of change in these 50 years and the context in which these changes occurred can prepare health care providers for future strategies to address needs of the rapidly growing older adult population.