Medicare

American  

[med-i-kair] / ˈmɛd ɪˌkɛər /

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a U.S. government program of hospitalization insurance and voluntary medical insurance for persons aged 65 and over and for certain disabled persons under 65.

2. (lowercase) any of various government-funded programs to provide medical care to a population.

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Medicare British  

/ ˈmɛdɪˌkɛə /

noun

1. (in the US) a federally sponsored health insurance programme for persons of 65 or older

2. (often not capital) (in Canada) a similar programme covering all citizens

3. (in Australia) a government-controlled general health-insurance scheme

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Medicare ¹ Cultural  

1. A federal health insurance program, administered by the Social Security Administration, that provides health care for the aged.

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Medicare ² Cultural  

1. A federal program providing medical care for the elderly. Established by a health insurance bill in 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, the Medicare program made a significant step for social welfare legislation and helped establish the growing population of the elderly as a pressure group. (See entitlements.)

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Etymology

Origin of Medicare

medi(cal) + care

Example Sentences

Social Security’s trust fund is expected to run out of money in 2032, at which point beneficiaries will receive only 78% of promised benefits, the Social Security and Medicare boards of trustees said on Tuesday.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

The Medicare report is no less sobering, with the Hospital Insurance trust fund, otherwise known as Medicare Part A, scheduled for depletion in 2033, when revenues are expected to cover 89% of incurred program costs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

A new legislative proposal would create a bipartisan commission to strengthen the finances of Social Security and Medicare at a time when the programs are under pressure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

I typically keep my withdrawals below the Medicare income threshold to keep my premiums as low as possible.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

All but one of the others are female, with an average age I would guess in the late twenties, though the range seems to go from prom-fresh to well into the Medicare years.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich