socialized medicine

noun

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of socialized medicine

: medical and hospital services for the members of a class or population administered by an organized group (such as a state agency) and paid for from funds obtained usually by assessments, philanthropy, or taxation

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Recent Examples of socialized medicine from the Web

Shulkin, like most veterans groups, preferred to take a gradual approach to reform; the hard-liners want rapid action to free our servicemen and women from the horrors of socialized medicine.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Replaces Veterans Affairs Secretary With His Personal Doctor," 28 Mar. 2018
More than single payer, this is actually socialized medicine.

— david dayen, New Republic, "This Week’s Other Looming Health Care Crisis," 25 Sep. 2017
As a Medicare-style program, single-payer is socialized medicine in the sense that the government, acting on behalf of society, takes responsibility for the health of all, but not in a strictly Marxist sense of the term.

— jay cost, National Review, "Why Medicare for All Would Damage our Republic," 18 Sep. 2017
That’s why Republicans are once again trying to eke out a narrow win on a bill that slows but doesn’t reverse the ongoing march to socialized medicine.

— michael tanner, National Review, "Graham-Cassidy Is a Too-Mild Improvement on Obamacare," 20 Sep. 2017
So, supporters of socialized medicine have cleared an important milestone.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The Left Has Made Medicare for All a Mainstream, Democratic Policy," 31 Aug. 2017
The specter of socialized medicine is anathema for an America that prides itself in rugged individualism.

— danielle ofri, Slate Magazine, "Big Money’s Sway Over Doctors," 2 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'socialized medicine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of socialized medicine

1912

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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