By: Stan Cox II

Stan Cox II — Sun, 03 May 2015 01:51:43 +0000

Apparently president Teddy Roosevelt championed the idea of a national health insurance program way back in 1912, but was unsuccessful in getting it established. Later in 1945 President Truman proposed to congress that a national health insurance fund be created to benefit all Americans. That also failed to gain traction. President Kennedy made a bid for a national health insurance program also pleading that 56% of Americans over 65 had no health insurance nor could afford it. Finally in 1965 President Johnson signed the legislation that made Medicare a reality.

By: Jeffrey VanCleve

Jeffrey VanCleve — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 15:28:25 +0000

In 1965, under the leadership of President Johnson, Congress created Medicare under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide health insurance to people age 65 and older, regardless of income or medical history. Before Medicare's creation, approximately 65% of those over 65 had health insurance, with coverage often unavailable or unaffordable to the rest, because older adults paid more than three times as much for health insurance as younger people.

New answer on: How Was Medicare Created?

By: Stan Cox II

By: Jeffrey VanCleve