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

You will likely have health challenges; Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance; emergency house repairs; and one or both of you may even require nursing-home care.

From MarketWatch

The projected shortfall in Social Security and Medicare alone is about $88 trillion over the same period.

From Barron's

The cost of healthcare is soaring for everyone, including people who get health insurance through Obamacare, their employer or even Medicare.

From MarketWatch

One in six people enrolled in Medicare’s drug benefit have eight or more prescriptions, according to a WSJ analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal

Your taxable income in retirement affects how much you pay for Medicare and how much of your Social Security is taxed.

From MarketWatch