Proclamation 3707—National Medicare Enrollment Month, March 1966

Whereas, Medicare promises a dramatic step toward a better life for all older Americans through a dual program of hospital insurance and voluntary medical insurance;

Whereas, The Social Security Amendments of 1965 provide a deadline of March 31, 1966, for enrollment in the voluntary medical insurance portion of the program for Americans who reached 65 in 1965 or before;

Whereas, our older citizens are richly deserving of these benefits, and should not be deprived of this valuable protection for any time through neglect or oversight;

Now, Therefore, I, Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United States, do hereby proclaim the month of March 1966 as National Medicare Enrollment Month, and I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and all other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to issue similar proclamations.

I urge and direct all offices and agencies of the Executive Department to assist the Social Security Administration to give every eligible American an opportunity to sign up for this protection before time runs out.

And I urge every American citizen to lend his time and energy to this cause: to encourage every older friend and relative to make his choice while time remains, so that he may enjoy this protection, provided by a grateful Nation.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this 6th day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninetieth.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

By the President:

DEAN RUSK

Secretary of State