medicare

1. (US) The system of government subsidies for health care for the elderly and disabled.Examples: "My mom started getting Medicare last week."; "One Nation, a new 501(c)4 linked to the Karl-Rove-backed American Crossroads super PAC, is spending more than $1.9 million on print, radio and digital ads highlighting the efforts of Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey to pass the “doc fix” legislation that realigned payments to Medicare providers with inflation."US

2. (Australia) The publicly funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia.Examples: "Medicare benefits are available to all persons ordinarily resident in Australia with the exception of members of foreign diplomatic missions and their dependants."; "All Australians are covered by Medicare, which is a universal insurance system controlled by the Australian Government through Commonwealth–State Health Care Agreements."; "Aside from Medicare, Australia′s universal health care system, most other support is income- or means-tested, depending on the level of income and assets of the care recipient, with some residents required to pay a daily fee to contribute to their care."Australia

3. (Canada) Alternative letter-case form of medicare.Canadaalt-of