medigap
UK[ˈmɛdɪɡæp]US[ˈmɛdɪɡæp]
n
A type of private health insurance in the United States designed to cover some of the healthcare costs not paid by the federal Medicare program.
Morpheme Breakdown
medi
gap
medi
medical
gap
deficiency
Etymology
The term Medigap is a modern American English portmanteau, a deliberate and transparent compound created in the late 20th century. It directly combines the clipped form "medi-", from "medical" or "Medicare", with the common noun "gap", meaning a deficiency or unfilled space. The word's logic is entirely self-explanatory within the context of the U.S. healthcare system: it names an insurance product specifically intended to fill the "gaps" in coverage left by the federal Medicare program. This formation follows a productive pattern in English for creating commercial and technical terms by blending two recognizable words to instantly convey their core function.
Analysis
Structure: medi (medical) + gap (deficiency)
- medi: From Latin medicus (pertaining to healing or a physician). Functional role: A combining form indicating a relationship to medicine or medical care.
- gap: From Old Norse gap (chasm, empty space). Functional role: A noun indicating a deficiency, breach, or unfilled space.
Examples
Many seniors purchase a Medigap policy to help pay for Medicare deductibles and co-payments.
It's important to compare different Medigap plans during the open enrollment period.
Her Medigap insurance covered the 20% of the hospital bill that Medicare did not pay.