On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law as part of his “Great Society” initiative. This landmark legislation, enacted under the amendments to the Social Security Act, established Medicare, a health insurance program for the elderly, and Medicaid, a health insurance program for the poor. The signing ceremony took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, with former President Harry S. Truman receiving the first Medicare card, acknowledging his early efforts to establish a national health insurance program. This pivotal moment significantly transformed healthcare in the United States, providing essential services to millions of Americans.
