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

“All vaccines currently recommended by CDC will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in a statement.

From Barron's

If you leave your job before you’re eligible for Medicare, health insurance could cost far more than you expect.

From MarketWatch

If you and your wife are not yet 65, you will have to build that bridge to Medicare into your estimates.

From MarketWatch

But what if Medicare were to expands its required preapprovals and employ AI as part of the process?

From MarketWatch

We are members of Ecuador’s national healthcare system, and we also maintain our Medicare coverage in the United States.

From MarketWatch