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Medicare and Medicaid
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Lyndon B. Johnson: Medicare Barack Obama signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
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Lyndon B. Johnson: Medicare
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Medicare and Medicaid

United States health insurance
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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Written by
David M. Mazie
Freelance journalist.
David M. Mazie
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Date:
1965 - present
Areas Of Involvement:
old age
health insurance
government support

News •

Supreme Court to weigh state moves to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood • Dec. 18, 2024, 3:15 PM ET (AP)
North Carolina's Medicaid expansion hits enrollment goal about a year ahead of projections • Dec. 16, 2024, 5:06 PM ET (AP)
Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans • Nov. 26, 2024, 2:46 PM ET (AP)

Medicare and Medicaid, two U.S. government programs that guarantee health insurance for the elderly and the poor, respectively. They were formally enacted in 1965 as amendments (Titles XVIII and XIX, respectively) to the Social Security Act (1935) and went into effect in 1966. The Medicare program covers most persons age 65 or older and consists of four related health insurance plans: a hospital insurance plan (called Part A); a supplementary medical insurance plan (Part B); and two privately run plans, Medicare Advantage (Part C) and prescription drug coverage (Part D). The hospital plan is financed through Social Security payroll taxes. ...(100 of 1142 words)

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