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

Before Medicare was created, only 54% of elderly people had health insurance, and that could be cancelled without cause when they got sick, which, as you know, tends to happen when you get old.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

The insurance company that primarily operates through Medicare and Medicaid, said net income fell to $60 million, or $1.19 a share, from $255 million, or $4.75 a share, a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

For 2025, total payouts under the arbitration process reached $14.85 billion, according to a Journal analysis of new, previously unreleased data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said California’s spending on in-home health services went up by more than double the national average over the last two fiscal years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Some were covered through Medicare, others on and off by spouses, but they all went stretches with no coverage or money for treatment.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot