Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over, or who meet other special criteria. Medicare operates as a single-payer health care system.[1] The Social Security Act of 1965 was passed by Congress in late-spring of 1965 and signed into law on July 30, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson as amendments to Social Security legislation. At the bill-signing ceremony President Johnson enrolled former President Harry S. Truman as the first Medicare beneficiary and presented him with the first Medicare card.[2] A Medicare card, with several areas of the card obscured to protect privacy. There are separate lines with for Part A and Part B, each with its own date. There are no lines for Part C or D, as a separate card is issued for those benefits by the private insurance company.   «   Summary from Wikipedia