Part of President Johnson’s Great Society Programs that aimed to cure growing social ills, Medicare is the country’s national health insurance program for people 65 or older and people under 65 who are receiving Social Security disability benefits.
It was introduced as the 1965 Medicare Amendment to the Social Security Act: Hospital (Part A) and Medical (Part B) care, now called Original Medicare.
The program helps with the cost of healthcare, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage.