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.

---

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

---

Medicare ¹ Cultural  

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

---

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.)

---

Etymology

Origin of Medicare

medi(cal) + care

Example Sentences

The managed care company reported a surprise quarterly loss and issued dismal guidance for the current fiscal year, citing the implementation of a new Medicaid contract and underperformance in its Medicare Advantage Part D product.

From Barron's

The company attributed the weak outlook to a new Medicaid contract and underperformance in its Medicare Advantage Part D product.

From Barron's

However, the owner of the drugstore chain and insurance giant Aetna continues to be dogged by concerns about federal rates for Medicare insurers.

From Barron's

The growth in Medicare Advantage, the private-plan alternative to traditional Medicare, has slowed in 2026 as plans quit unprofitable markets and trimmed benefits, but subscriber gains haven’t faltered as badly as expected.

From MarketWatch

Mikson is optimistic the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services “will primarily utilize more relevant data” as it weighs creating a coverage policy for multi-cancer early detection tests.

From Barron's