OVERVIEW OF US HEALTHCARE The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), created on March 9, 1977, to consolidate the administration of the largest Federal health programs, Medicare and Medicaid, was named the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on June 14, 2001. In 1965, the Social Security Act established both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare was a responsibility of the Social Security Administration (SSA), while Federal assistance to the State Medicaid programs was administered by the Social and Rehabilitation Service (SRS). SSA and SRS were agencies in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). In 1977, the Health Care Financing Administration was created under HEW to effectively coordinate Medicare and Medicaid. In 1980 HEW was divided into the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Medicare extended health coverage to almost all Americans aged 65 or older. About 19 million