Social Security’s Role in Desegregation

Black History Month seems like the perfect time to share an interesting story about Social Security. It’s a little-known fact that the Social Security Administration (SSA) played a pivotal role in desegregating American hospitals in the 1960s.

A blog post by SSA reveals that when the Medicare Act was implemented in 1966 it required that hospitals be desegrated in order to receive federal funds. Policing that was no easy task. SSA employees led a grassroots effort, visiting hospitals across the country to verify compliance and ending the practice of segregating patients and doctors. The blog post concludes by saying to this day, “SSA strives to continue this legacy by treating the public with fairness, equality, and compassion.”

The Seniors Trust is committed to ensuring that all older Americans receive the retirement benefits they have earned. It wants Congress to enact the Social Security Expansion Act which would expand benefits, establish a fairer cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and secure the long-term solvency of Social Security making sure it is here today and for future generations.