Back in the 1960s, the poverty rate in the United States was high. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a "War on Poverty" in America, in which he wanted to do something to help the population of people who were poor.
Medicare was specifically created for people ages 65 or older to give them health benefits that they may have lost from retiring from their jobs. Back in the 1960s, there was a problem with elderly people and poverty, especially with nothing the government had set into place until Medicare.
Medicaid was specifically set up for those who were poor who applied for this benefit from the government. Someone could apply to the government for Medicaid if they had lost their job or were in extreme poverty. Medicaid can be provided to someone at any age, not just the elderly. It can also be known as Medical Assistance.
Explanation: Medicaid is primarily for low-income people. The private medical sector in the United States has been quite controlled by the government mainly because the government finances Medicare and Medicaid and because many doctors do not care for Medicaid patients.
