Kennedy in Dallas Texas on November 22 1963. Medicare is a government national health insurance program in the United States begun in 1965 under the Social Security Administration SSA and now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS. The 1964 Election The Atlantic It primarily provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older but also for some younger people with disability status as determined by the SSA. . Johnson during the assassination of John F. Johnson during the assassination of John F. January 13 1924 October 2 1996 was a United States Secret Service agent best known for using his body to shield Vice President Lyndon B. Rufus Wayne Youngblood Jr.