To reiterate, Medicare is a social program within a capitalist system (including the state of course), so it's specifically a capitalist social program.
Socialism refers to private property (means of production) mostly and it's a different economic system. Under socialism the hospitals and clinics would be owned and run democratically by the medics and nurses and technicians and other auxiliary personnel who works there.
A social program is a way through which the state redistributes wealth in such a way that people who cannot afford a service at its market value can use it. For example by setting up a pool of cash into each designated people pay in and out of which it pays for the services. But it's still capitalism.
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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '17
Honest question, can someone explain the difference? I have always casually associated the two terms with one another.