1 health insurance | Definition of health insurance

health insurance

noun

Definition of health insurance

: insurance against loss through illness of the insured especially : insurance providing compensation for medical expenses

Examples of health insurance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dranove and Millenson scoffed at the argument by Himmelstein and Woolhandler that the solution to the problem is a national health insurance program. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, "Column: Medical bankruptcy is an American scandal — and that’s not debatable," 4 Sep. 2019 Medicaid is a state and federally funded health insurance program for the poor. Lisa Schencker, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois spent $4.6 million on health insurance for dead people, federal audit says," 4 Sep. 2019 Long-term care isn’t covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for seniors. Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "As costs mount, states scramble for new ways to pay for late-in-life care," 28 Aug. 2019 Maryland is one of just 15 states that does not cover dental care for adults on Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income people. Juliana Kim, Washington Post, "Md. dental program for poor pays to remove teeth — but not replace them," 24 Aug. 2019 Maryland is one of just 15 states that does not cover dental care for adults on Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income people. Juliana Kim, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland’s new dental insurance program for low-income residents pays to remove teeth — but not replace them," 22 Aug. 2019 Alabama’s congressional delegation hailed a decision Friday to tweak the Medicare reimbursement formula that will benefit the state’s hospitals after months of lobbying the agency in charge of overseeing the health insurance program. Howard Koplowitz | [email protected], al, "Alabama congressional delegation applauds agency’s Medicare reimbursement rate fix," 2 Aug. 2019 It will be focused on Medicare, the government health insurance program for seniors. Steven Lemongello, orlandosentinel.com, "Trump to speak at private event in The Villages on Tuesday," 2 Aug. 2019 The deal calls for a single pharmacy benefit manager — a proposal backed by the House — to negotiate prescription-drug purchases on behalf of Medicaid, the state and federally run health insurance program for the poor and disabled. Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com, "State budget deal keeps business tax deduction, film tax credit," 16 July 2019

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

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First Known Use of health insurance

1901, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for health insurance

health insurance

noun

Financial Definition of health insurance

What It Is

Health insurance is insurance that covers some or all of the costs of an individuals healthcare.

How It Works

Health insurance absorbs or offsets healthcare costs associated with, but not limited to, routine health examinations, specialist referral visits, inpatient and outpatient surgery, unforeseen eventualities such as illnesses or injuries, and prescription medication. Health insurance policies are categorized as privately paid for by an individual, publicly provided as a service through Social Security, or commercially arranged by a company as part of an employee benefit package.

Broader levels of health insurance coverage generally have higher premium costs. In many cases, the insured party is responsible for paying his/her healthcare provider an up-front, tax deductible amount called co-pay. Health insurance companies then may compensate healthcare providers directly or reimburse the policy holder based on the remaining portion of an itemized bill.

Why It Matters

Health insurance primarily protects individuals from the prohibitively high costs of surgical procedures, inpatient hospital care, and emergency attention. Though health insurance itself can become costly for a family, it is only a small fraction of the potential costs associated with unforeseen illnesses and emergencies (for example, the diagnosis and treatment of cancer or a heart attack).

Source: Investing Answers

health insurance

noun

Medical Definition of health insurance

: insurance against loss through illness of the insured especially : insurance providing compensation for medical expenses

health insurance

noun

Legal Definition of health insurance

: insurance against loss through illness or injury of the insured especially : insurance providing compensation for medical expenses and often income for disability

More from Merriam-Webster on health insurance

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with health insurance

Nglish: Translation of health insurance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about health insurance