Honoring the Civil Rights Act’s Legacy Through Equitable Service

Six decades ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964ushered in a new era of equality and justice for all Americans. This landmark legislation was intended to dismantle racial segregation and advanced equity for all Americans, by prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

As we commemorate the Act's 60th anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to upholding its principles and ensuring equitable access to all our programs and services.

Social Security's role in desegregating hospitals: A pivotal achievement

Social Security Administration (SSA) implemented the Medicare program when it was established in 1965 as a hospital insurance program for people aged 65 and older. The agency played a crucial role in one of the Act's most significant accomplishments - desegregation of hospitals. SSA enforced compliance with Title VI of the Act, which prohibited discrimination in federally funded programs. As a result, more than 2,000 hospitalsnationwide desegregated by July 1966. To measure the impact, in its first year, Medicare provided health insurance to 19.1 million people aged 65 and older. 

Lasting impact and continued progress

The Civil Rights Act's impact extended far beyond hospital desegregation. Its principles have guided our efforts to promote fairness and inclusivity across our programs and services. Through strategies outlined in the SSA Equity Action Plan 2023 Update, we continue to reduce systemic barriers by:

• Improving Access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI): Beginning September 30, 2024,approximately 7.5 millionpeople who receive SSI may get higher monthly payments or additional housing support. Other adults and children with limited income and resources may now be eligible for SSI. That's because we are expanding SSI eligibility criteria by updating the public assistance household definition, removing food from in-kind support and maintenance, and expanding rental subsidynationwide.To hear Commissioner Martin O'Malley's recent message about SSI, we invite you to watch a short video.



• Improving Access for Customers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP): We have made it easier for the country's approximately 26 million people with LEP to access our services by launching an LEP Toolkitand publishing our first Native Language Action Plan.
• Addressing SSI Underpayments: Earlier this year we streamlined processes and updated policyto address underpayments. As of April 2024, we released over $169 million in SSI underpayments to over 152,000 people and decreased initial processing time by 170 days.
• Increasing Awareness of Survivors Benefits: We targeted outreach to increase awareness of, and applications for, survivors benefits for the estimated 1 in 20 children in the United States who have lost a parent by age 16, and approximately 5.5% of the population who are surviving spouses (approximately 15 million surviving spouses),including those divorced, aged 60 and older.
• Increasing Race and Ethnicity Data Collection: We contracted with vital statistics bureaus in 7 states and territories to provide race and ethnicity data through our Enumeration at Birth(EAB) program. About 99% of Social Security numbers are assigned to newborns through the EAB program. The new data will help improve monitoring and address disparities from birth, fostering long-term equity in service delivery.

Honoring the past, shaping the future

We celebrate the 60thanniversary of the Civil Rights Act and honor the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. At the same time, we remain committed to equity while shaping a future of dignity and respect for everyone, regardless of background or circumstances. Please take a moment to read the White House Proclamation.

We invite you to learn more about Social Security, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and ways you can support our equity initiatives.

Tags:equity, General Information, Medicare