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

Soaring healthcare costs, including out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare, have been rough for many retirees.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

Shares across the insurance industry have been buoyed by the announcement earlier this month that Medicare rates for 2027 would come in above an earlier proposal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Revenue for its Medicare and retirement business increased 1% to $42.1 billion.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

Investors in health insurers could be forgiven for thinking the pressure on the Medicare Advantage industry has finally abated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

While this may have been scary news in terms of Medicare and Social Security, the average American had little to fear from the growing horde of oldsters.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt