fee-for-service

noun

fee-for-ser·​vice ˌfē-fər-ˈsər-vəs How to pronounce fee-for-service (audio)
often attributive
: separate payment to a health care provider for each medical service rendered to a patient

Examples of fee-for-service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When speaking to lawmakers Monday, Mann said Department of Human Services staff are examining both fee-for-service Medicaid and managed care models as an eventual replacement for ARHOME. — Arkansas Online, 20 Aug. 2026 The upshot, though, is that Cardinal operates on a fee-for-service model that relies on volume — taking a small fee for every unit moved. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026 Traditional Medicare is often unaffordable for seniors, lacks crucial benefits like dental and vision, and its fee-for-service model incentivizes procedures over preventative care. — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 In the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, the number of procedures has declined steadily in recent years, from about 169,000 in 2014 to 91,000 in 2024, federal data shows. — Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, CBS News, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fee-for-service

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fee-for-service was in 1945

Rhymes for fee-for-service

See All Rhymes for fee-for-service

Browse Nearby Words

fee-faw-fum
fee-for-service
fee gouging
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Cite this Entry

“Fee-for-service.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fee-for-service. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Medical Definition

fee-for-service

noun
fee-for-ser·​vice ˌfē-fər-ˈsər-vəs How to pronounce fee-for-service (audio)
: separate payment to a health care provider for each medical service rendered to a patient
—often used attributively
a fee-for-service group plan
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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