Statement of Problem Medicare and Medicaid are two of the United States largest broken systems, which must sustain themselves in order to provide care to their beneficiaries. Both Medicare and Medicaid are funding by a joint effort between the federal government and the local state government. If and when these governments choose to cut funding or reduce spending, Medicare and Medicaid take the biggest hit. Most people see these two benefits as one in the same, two benefits the government takes out of their pay check to help fund health care. While the government does deduct a sum from paychecks everywhere, Medicare and Medicaid are very two very different programs. Medicare was designed for beneficiaries sixty five years and older and enrollees who are permanently disabled and are unable to work. Medicare benefits are applied for at the Social Security office, where proof of eligibility is required. Medicaid however is health care benefits for those who are low income and do not have insurance through their job (Medicare.gov, 2008). Medicaid supports children who are under the age of nineteen, people over the age of sixty five, enrollees who are disabled and those that need permanent nursing home care. Potential beneficiaries can find an application for Medicaid at their State’s Medicaid agency (Medicare.gov, 2008). These requirements overlap between the two and some beneficiaries do qualify for both benefits. This means that Medicaid is sometimes used to help pay for Medicare premiums and those who do quality for both programs are considered to be “dual eligible” and will usually enroll in both programs in order to cut personal costs. Medicare and Medicaid both have their financial woes, each have their burdens, a... ... middle of paper ... ...while bearing a portion of the costs, and the states’ ability to manipulate the program to obtain federal funds (Weil, 2003). The overwhelming increase in Medicaid costs are born by the states individually and reflect actual costs associated with growing eligible population that requires the services offered by Medicaid. Medicaid is a broken system that is largely failing to serve its beneficiary’s needs. Despite its chronic failures to deliver quality health care, Medicaid is seemingly running up a gigantic tab for tax payers (Frogue, 2003). Medicaid’s budget woes are secondary to its insignificant structure, leaving its beneficiaries with limited choices, when arranging for their own health care. Instead, regulations are set in order to drive costs down; instead of allowing Medicaid beneficiaries free rein to choose whom they will seek care from (Frogue, 2003)
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
First of all What is Medicare ? Medicare is a federal health insurance both old and young people that needs a cheaper medication and people who are disable. According to Robert Preidt’s Article about medicare he stated that “At least one in four Medicare patients received at least one of these services in 2009, according to the analysis of claims made by more than 1.3 million Medicare patients that year “ his analysis tells us that a bit of americans get their insurance and most of them still pay a lot even though they have insurance provided by the government for example Isadore Cassuto an 88 year old man and a retired tax attorney , broke his pelvis on nov. 12 on a parking lot and spent more than 3 weeks at the rehab hospital . He was stuck with 6,000 bill for his follow up care because of Medicare the federal health plan for people over 65, only pays for inpatient rehabilitation following a serious hospitalization , this analysis is telling us that even an insured retired person who is eligible to pay lesser bill didn't get it instead he payed more . Karen Rowan state...
I mentioned Medicare and Medicaid a few paragraphs above. With both of these aid’s being government funded programs, there’s differences between them. Medicare has certain contributors that help others in need pay for their bills. This fund is certainly for elderly people, and people with disabilities. The individuals that are covered by this plan only pay part of the expense out of pocket. While Medicaid is provided through federal and state funds. This type of coverage also helps elders, but helps kids under 19, parents, and parent’s dependent upon their children.
In 1965 President Johnson signed both Medicare and Medicaid programs into law (Nile, 2011). According to Medical news today, “Medicare is a social insurance program that serves more than 44 million enrollees as of 2008” (MediLexicon International Ltd, 2011, para2). It cost about $432 billion or 3.2% of GDP, as of 2007(par2).Medicare is broken down into parts, Part A is hospital Insurance Part B is medical Insurance, and Part D is Medicare prescription drug coverage (medicare.gov). Like we previously stated Medicare is a health insurance for people who are 65 and older, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people of any age with End- Stage Renal Disease. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program of medical assistance for low income persons (Benefit.gov). It is administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA). Medicaid serves about 40 million people as of 2007; it cost $330 billion, or 2.4% of GDP, in 2007.(par.2) “In Illinois you may be eligible for Medicaid if you are a child, pre...
The author also believes that the Medicaid expansion extends beyond the politics, and has an aim to impact the life, health, and financial stability for the state and individuals. Medicaid expansion can be beneficial to many countries that have a large proportion of low-income people that are uninsured and or with disabilities. This can aid in saving the state money because much of the cost is provided and covered by the federal government, that encourages healthier behavior and results to a reduction in chronic disease due to lower health care costs. Although Texas opted out in adopting the expansion, legislators should decide on the advantage and disadvantage of participating in the Medicaid expansion to improve the welfare of the state. The expansion of Medicaid coverage will give low-income pregnant women the chance to reduce the rate in infant mortality and provide an opportunity for those that were unable to get coverage to be
Medicaid is often mistaken as insurance strictly for the poor. This is not the case as many middle income households rely on this insurance. For this reason the program will be expanded to include more middle income households who are unable to afford insurance premiums. Unlike the current program all enrollees will be required to pay some form of a premium based on a sliding fee scale. This will allow these individuals to make some form of a contribution to the health care industry.
1. The two major differences between Medicare and Medicaid are who the plan is provided for and who is in charge of providing each plan. The majority of other differences stem from these two dissimilarities. Medicare is a health insurance plan for people over 65 years of age (also includes a few other smaller groups such as younger children with certain disabilities), while Medicaid is provided for citizens who cannot afford other healthcare insurance plans due to their low income. Because of this, Medicaid pays the providers less, so it is not uncommon that doctors will refuse to take patients who use Medicaid. Medicare, on the other hand, hardly ever negotiates prices, so doctors usually end up receiving what they charge. Medicare is completely
Medicare itself covers the basics from Hospital care to Home health services. There are many things that come into play on what Medicare can and can’t cover. The first being federal and then state laws that vary depending on the region where you live. Usually Medicare makes national coverage decisions to decide what is covered throughout the United States. Also, local companies can deem something either necessary or unnecessary in certain areas.
Clearly, the Medicaid program is ripe for a major overhaul, a task that the federal government has thus far been unwilling to undertake. I chose this topic because I believe that the Medicaid program can be rescued and revitalized by leadership; otherwise, it is likely to be eroded. Medicaid is a government-sponsored program whose objective is to provide patients with health assistance upon meeting specific criteria. Medicaid is an insurance program that is available for disadvantaged persons, including the elderly, who cannot afford health benefits because of low incomes or other factors. This program is subsidized by government funds and in many instances, will cover the costs of basic medical care as well as specialized testing and supplies. What are the problems with Medicaid and what should be done about them? This paper will look at 6 articles about the economics of Medicaid and analyze what should be done about this problem.
Unlike social security some of the costs of Medicare come from federal revenues. Meaning it comes from our taxes. With the deficit at a large rate, the federal revenue must spend as less as possible to maintain our debt. This also means that we, the tax payers, must pay more to meet the debt requirements. "The way that they work is that as costs rise, they just result in bigger taxpayer burdens on future generations.” (Angle, 2011). Pertaining to the debt crisis is more for Medicare then most federal revenues. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House budget committee says in his words. "The economic day of reckoning is right around the corner. Because the tens of trillions of dollars of unfunded liabilities are right out there in front of us,” he also mentions. "Medicar...
Medicare is a national social insurance program in the United States. It is administered by the federal government. It provides health insurance for citizens aged 65 years and above. These citizens must have initially worked, and paid into trust funds. Moreover, Medicare covers dialysis patients, or those with an end-stage renal disease. This program was established in 1966. Medicaid, on the other hand, is a social health program for both families and individuals, who are low income earners in the United States. It covers citizens of all ages, whose salaries are not enough to cater for healthcare. Those eligible must be U.S. citizens, who are of low income, and also the disabled.
...nable to pay. It can help increase and encourage those who receive Medicaid benefits to visit doctors and help protect their health, since they won’t have the burden of not being able to pay. The most important reason I believe Medicaid should be expanded is because it helps many infants and children receive medical care even if their parents are not able to provide, but they must meet requirements to receive Medicaid.
Medicare is the nation’s largest health insurance program. Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least ten years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Medicare-covered services include hospital insurance, inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, home health care, hospice care, and medical insurance (Medicare U.S.) With such an encompassing effect on the health insurance field, Medicare provides a haven for older individuals, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who require the best medical care for whatever possible reason. The only problem with this scenario is that doctors are turning many older patients away because they have Medicare. Why do doctors turn away Medicare patients? Is there a reason why certain doctors turn away certain patients?
Medicare is a national social insurance program, run by the U.S. federal government since 1966 that promises health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older and younger people with disabilities. Being the nation’s single largest health insurance program, covering a large population for a wide range of health services, Medicare's funding is a fundamental part of it sustainability. Medicare is comprised of several different parts, serving different purposes, some of which require separate funding. In general, people at the age of 65 and older who have been legal residents of the United States for at least 5 years are eligible for Medicare. Same is true with people that have disabilities under 65, if they receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Medicare involves four parts: Part A is hospital insurance. Part B is additional medical insurance, that Part A doesn't cover. Part C health plans, also mostly known as Medicare Advantage, are another way for original Medicare beneficiaries to receive their Part A, B and D benefits. Medicare Part D covers many prescription drugs, some of which are covered by Part B. Medicare is a major operation, not only needing adequate administering but the necessary allocated funds to keep this massive system afloat.
In the United States, spending on Medicaid's forty million beneficiaries is projected to an overall of two hundred twenty billion during the fiscal year of 2001. In the year 1998, the federal government's share of medicaid expenditures averaged about fifty-seven percent in every state. Eleven percent is the average rate the Medicaid spending grew during the years between 1980 to 2000. Moderate spending caused a concern to both the federal legal and regulatory efforts aimed at states use of financing mechanisms. For example most states used a huge amount of disproportionate share hospital payments, intergovernmental transfers, and provider taxes and donations. However, this did not impact the enrollment of people to Medicaid due to a strong economy along with state welfare reform and fewer expansions in eligibility. Services provided to Medicaid recipients were provided at costs that remained constant due to moderate health care price inflation along with expanded use of managed care and increased use of home and community-based alternative to costly institutional long term care.