Medicare

[med-i-kair]

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

/ 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

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

Medicare

²

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.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Medicare¹

medi(cal) + care

Word History and Origins

Origin of Medicare¹

C20: _medi ( _cal ) + _care

Example Sentences

What’s more, a conversion might usher higher Medicare premiums, depending on their individual circumstances.

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Blame medical inflation and more people in need of costly care for the 9.7% jump in Medicare Part B premiums next year.

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An estimated 24.3 million Americans are insured through ACA plans and an estimated 92 percent receive some form of subsidy, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Wang reported personal fees from MITRE, a federally funded research and development center for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and personal fees from Cytel Inc during the conduct of the study.

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Much of the universities’ work is supported by the government — $17 billion a year, including matching Medicaid and Medicare funding and student aid.

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