The Status of the Social Security Program and
Recommendations for Its Improvement

Report of the Advisory Council on Social Security

Washington
1965

The 1965 Advisory Council was an important voice in the legislative process that led to the creation of the Medicare program later that year. Although many other players were pushing for a Medicare program, the Council's support of the idea was one strong plank in the pro-Medicare platform. (See Peter Corning's history of Medicare for a detailed discussion of developments leading up to the passage of the Medicare program.)

The Council made several other significant recommendations. Among the legislative changes recommended and discussed in this Report are:

• Medicare benefits for the elderly;
• The creation of Student Benefits;
• Important changes in the requirements for younger workers to receive disability benefits;
• The coverage of tips as taxable income for Social Security purposes;
• Extension of coverage to State and local government workers and self-employed doctors;
• Adopting the practice of making Trust Fund estimates for a 75-year period.

All of these recommendations would eventually become law or practice--most of them in the 1965 legislation.

A few of the Council recommendations were not adopted. A recommendation to raise the $255 lump-sum death benefit was rejected, as well as some of the Council's particular recommendations regarding financing.

Even so, the 1965 Advisory Council was an important Council and its Report is an important milestone document in the development of the Social Security program.