Medicare
Medicare
Medicare (pronounced /ˈmɛdɪˌkɛər/) is a national health insurance program in the United States, begun in 1966 under the Social Security Administration (SSA) and now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It primarily provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older, but also for some younger people with disability status as determined by the Social Security Administration, as well as people with end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).
Etymology
The term "Medicare" was originally a compromise between "medic" and "care". The term was first used in 1965 to describe a program providing medical care for the elderly. It was officially adopted by the U.S. government in 1966.
Related Terms
- Health insurance: A type of insurance coverage that pays for medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured.
- Social Security Administration (SSA): An independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits.
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): A federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the nation’s major healthcare programs.
- End stage renal disease (ESRD): The last stage of chronic kidney disease. This is when your kidneys can no longer support your body's needs.
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): A specific disease that causes the death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Medicare
- Wikipedia's article - Medicare
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski