How did we ever get Medicare? Any DUers know of a definitive book on it?

[CTyankee]

I am heading to my library today and will also check out a good LBJ bio. Even though I was a adult at the time of Medicare and Medicaid's establishment, I don't remember the political back story. I do remember Republicans having a fit and then...nothing much.

Obviously, Medicare/Medicaid left the insurance companies alone, so in essence we got a halfway measure. The elderly were "universally" covered, the poor not so much and the rest of us left to fight for ourselves.