Who Established Medicare? 
Great question ! The Medicare program was a part of President Lyndon Johnson 's war against social inequality , and was signed into law with bi-partisan support in 1965 . He put into place several social safety net programs that were designed to help Americans get out of , or avoid poverty , and many that were designed to eliminate inequality or segregation . Many senior citizens were unable to afford medical help at that time , as costs were prohibitively high for an elderly person , as opposed to a younger one . This program made receiving health care for everyone a possibility . It also helped desegregate many hospitals and providers ' offices , as it tied program payments to integration.Thanks for asking ! 