On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson traveled to the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, to sign Medicare into law. His gesture drew attention to the 20 years it had taken Congress to enact government health insurance for senior citizens after Harry Truman had proposed it.

When did Medicare start and why?

The Medicare program was signed into law in 1965 to provide health coverage and increased financial security for older Americans who were not well served in an insurance market characterized by employment-linked group coverage.

What was Medicare originally designed to do?

Medicare, first signed into law in 1965, was created to provide health coverage to Americans ages 65 and over. When first introduced, Medicare included only parts A and B. Additional parts of Medicare have been added over the years to expand coverage.