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

See Examples For:

Medicare

These enrollees tend to be sicker and poorer than those on traditional Medicare.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

In general, Medicare Advantage plans, which sometimes have no monthly premiums, are popular, covering 55% of all Medicare beneficiaries this year.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

Read: Think Medicare Advantage provides better care for chronic conditions?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private health-insurance companies as an alternative to traditional Medicare.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

In the late 1990s, Medicare slashed reimbursement levels to around $450 per procedure, and the incomes of the surgically minded ophthalmologists fell.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis