The word "medicare" is commonly spelled with the letter "e" between the letters "d" and "i", despite the fact that phonetically, the sound represented by this letter is not present in the word. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription of "medicare" is /mɛdɪkɛr/, which indicates that the word contains the short "e" (IPA symbol: ɛ) sound, followed by the "i" (IPA symbol: ɪ) sound. This odd spelling may be the result of historical or traditional usage, as well as the influence of the spelling of the word "medical".
Medicare is a government-funded health insurance program in the United States primarily designed to provide medical coverage for individuals aged 65 and older. It is also available for individuals younger than 65 who have certain disabilities or end-stage renal disease.
The program is divided into different parts. Medicare Part A, also known as hospital insurance, covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, and limited home healthcare services. Part B, or medical insurance, covers outpatient care, preventative services, laboratory tests, durable medical equipment, and certain doctor services. Medicare Part D is the prescription drug coverage, providing assistance with the costs of prescription medications.
Medicare is funded through payroll taxes and premiums paid by beneficiaries, as well as general revenues from the government. Eligible individuals can choose to receive their Medicare benefits through Original Medicare, consisting of Parts A and B, or they can opt for a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), which is offered by private insurance companies and typically provides additional benefits.
Medicare serves as a vital safety net for older adults and disabled individuals, allowing them access to essential healthcare services. However, it is important to note that Medicare may not cover all medical expenses, and recipients may be responsible for certain deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Understanding and navigating the complexities of Medicare is essential in order to make informed healthcare decisions.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "medicare" is derived from the combination of two words: "medical" and "care".
1. Medical: The word "medical" originated from the Latin word "medicus", which means "pertaining to medicine". It was later adopted into Middle English as "medicin" and subsequently simplified to "medical" in modern English.
2. Care: The term "care" can be traced back to the Old English word "caru", which has Germanic roots. It originally meant "sorrow" or "anxiety", but evolved to encompass the concept of looking after or providing for someone's well-being.
Combining these two words, "medical" and "care", resulted in the term "medicare", which is commonly used to refer to a healthcare program initiated by the government to provide medical assistance to senior citizens in the United States.