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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Medicare

It can be an opportunity to get back on traditional Medicare plus supplemental insurance.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Also at age 65, HSA owners usually can enroll in Medicare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Initially refusing Medicare and applying later, or canceling and reapplying, triggers a late-enrollment penalty.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Second, Medicare begins at 65, with the Part B premium deducted from your Social Security.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

They’d take half an hour or less, and yet Medicare would reimburse them $1,700 a pop.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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