Event marks what Social Security, Medicare mean for so many Americans

DETROIT - In August 1935 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, he called it a cornerstone and the foundation of a structure to last for future generations.

To mark the 77th anniversary of Social Security - and nearly 50 years since Medicare and Medicaid became law in 1965 - the Metro Detroit Council of Senior Citizens will hold a celebration Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. at the UAW Dave Miller Building in Detroit. Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich., is scheduled to speak.

"Retirees in our area are struggling to get by, but they know how worse things would be without Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security," said Louis Green, the council's president. "Because of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, seniors are able to pay bills, see a doctor, fill a prescription and afford nursing home care."

"Before these programs became law, too many seniors could not afford any medical care, and long-term nursing home care was simply out of the question for most seniors.  Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security provide a safety net for all seniors and those with disabilities who otherwise would not have affordable health care," Green added.

The Metro Detroit Council of Senior Citizens is affiliated with the Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans. The council comprises retirees from various international labor unions and other affiliated organizations.

Here are more details on tomorrow's event:

Who: The Metro Detroit Council of Senior Citizens;  Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich.

What: Social Security and Medicare - and what they mean to those who receive them.

When:   Aug. 10 at 10 a.m.

Where:  UAW Dave Miller Building, 8731 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48214