As part of the Affordable Care Act, the Health Insurance Marketplace is scheduled to open October 1, 2013. You can use the Kaiser Family Foundation’s online Subsidy Calculator to get an estimate of what your premiums and savings might be on a Marketplace plan. Keep in mind that this is just an estimate, and your actual costs may be higher or lower. When open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace starts October 1, you’ll be able to see exactly what you’ll pay for specific plans, including any savings you qualify for based on your income.

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law. The event took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, where former president Harry Truman was enrolled as the health insurance program's first beneficiary. The program, which provides hospital and medical insurance for Americans 65 years or older, was signed into law as an amendment to the Social Security Act of 1935. For complete information on your Medicare benefits go the official website.

Social Security Handbook: overview of Social Security programs, 2013

Student's guide to landmark congressional laws on social security and welfare by Steven G. Livingston