English 1103 Malcolm Campbell October 2, 2013 Zna Le Grand

Le Grand

Originally created to serve the poorest and sickest among us, the Medicaid program has grown dramatically but still doesn't include the kind of flexibility that states need to provide better health care for the poor and disadvantaged. Fred Upton The Medicaid program is a means-tested program for health and medical serviced purposes. It is specifically designed for individuals and families who suffer from low income, as well as those who do not have as many inclusionary resources. The Medicaid program is primarily managed through federal levels, however each state establishes its own eligibility standards; determines the type, amount, duration, and scope of services; sets the rate of payment for services; and administers its own Medicaid program. In spite of the fact that the States are capable of making decisions on how their Medicaid plans are distributed, there are still federal levels that exist. Involving compulsory requirements that have to be met by States so that they will be eligible to receive federal funds that are equal. These services incorporate both impatient and outpatient hospitals, prenatal care, physician services, family planning and more. Apart from the services that are provided from the federal levels, the central question is how beneficial is the Medicaid program and should it be expanded or not? On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes -government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, which is why theyve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference. This statement proves that healthcare in general causes Americans the trouble of paying higher/more taxes due to the government and also endure unruly methods used by insurance companies. As of now insurance companies can deny those who have pre-existing conditions which may consist of Diabetes, Asthma, Cancer, and Heart Disease conditions that involves
1|How beneficial is the Medicaid Program?

English 1103 Malcolm Campbell October 2, 2013 Zna Le Grand

Le Grand

essential and consistent checkups. This limits how much or what kind of health services that Americans or people in general can receive. The expansion of the Medicaid Program just as every other parts of the healthcare system has its advantages and its disadvantages. Examining agreements and disagreements from todays society, some people agree to the expansion of the Medicaid program with assertions that fall along the lines of broader benefits for those who are currently suffering from low income. This program provides low-income workers with job security and health coverage for themselves and their families The federal government has long allowed many states to let lapse basic healthcare for the poor, even as states handed out billions in unnecessary corporate tax breaks. Meanwhile, the middle class picks up the cost of providing care to the uninsured through taxes given to hospitals for uncompensated care and higher insurance costs. - Scott Randolph, a Democratic Florida state representative. Understanding the existing problems that not only link to and effect the poor, but also the effects on the middle class and their out-ofpocket pay as well. Since Randolph is a Democratic representative for the state of Florida, he deliberately uses Florida to support his assertion. As he states, So currently, uninsured care costs Floridians at least $5 billion per yearnot including what hospitals just write off. Providing coverage to 1.3 million working poor in Florida will cost $2.2 billion. In other words, expanding Medicaid to Florida's working poor will not cause taxes to increase. Rather, it will cut other tax costs while also lowering the price of insurance. Therefore, Florida can afford to provide for its citizens and corporations. Over the last decade, Florida's Republican-led state government has authorized more than $14 billion in corporate tax breaks that now costs the state roughly $4 billion a year. If Scott is worried about how poor people's healthcare will impact the state budget, he should focus on helping create good-paying jobs for Floridians and raising the
2|How beneficial is the Medicaid Program?

English 1103 Malcolm Campbell October 2, 2013 Zna Le Grand

Le Grand

minimum wagesteps that will surely reduce the cost of Medicaid. In relation to Randolphs optimistic outlook, Maggie Mahar, the editor of Healthbeatblog and the author of Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much, also agrees with the expansion of the Medicaid program. Arguing that the expansion of Medicaid will not only create jobs but will also extend care. With delineate support, By expanding Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act sets out to cover some 17 million uninsured Americans. Many in this group are adults who currently don't qualify for the program because they don't have children. In most states single adults and childless couples are not considered among "the worthy poor," no matter how little they earn. Nevertheless there are people who form the question Can the states really afford such an enormous expansion of this program? However Mahar feels as if this particular question should be asked in a different form, How can they not afford to expand Medicaid? With indications that as an alternative the dollars that are considered for Medicaid use will only create jobs, only if states validate Washingtons offer. Beginning in 2014, Washington will cover nearly 100 percent of the cost for three years, 90 percent after 2020. Washington now picks up just 57 percent of the tab for existing Medicaid patients. Therefore, as long as low-income patients are able to gain access to proper healthcare, hiring will be a needy process for several services. Now on behalf of those who disagree with the expansion of the Medicaid Program, their assertions sound more like this one from Grace-Marie Turner, President of the Galen Institute (which has a focus for market-based policy solutions toward the health reform). Further, the Medicaid expansion will harm the poorest and most vulnerable patients already on the program as they are forced to compete with millions of new patients seeking care from this limited pool of providers. As turner continues she states that Many governors are rightly resisting adding another 16 million more people to Medicaid and are demanding that Washington give them more
3|How beneficial is the Medicaid Program?

English 1103 Malcolm Campbell October 2, 2013 Zna Le Grand

Le Grand

flexibility to improve the program. Implying that it is leading to a breaking point in terms of States funding for education, transportation, and public safety with the entitlement of Medicaid consuming a fairly large portion of shared revenues. Due to this breaking point there are governors who are skeptical about adding 16 million more Medicaid recipients, at least until the Medicaid Program is dramatically improved. With further notice that, Even with the generous match rates the health overhaul law offers, the Medicaid expansion would cost them at least $118 billion through 2023, according to a 2011 congressional report by Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch and Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton. According to history money has been a destructive obstacle for the American healthcare system. However there has recently been an attempt to lower these risks, President Barack Obama proposed reducing federal Medicaid spending by $100 billion over 10 years during last year's "supercommittee" budget negotiations. He proposed changing the traditional federal Medicaid matching rate in a way that would lead to a smaller overall federal contribution to the programand a larger state-based one. Directly relating to the assertion of Rick Scott, Republican governor of the state of Florida, Medicaid expansion is bad for states because it would put a tremendous strain on state budgets and increase dependency on government programs. We don't need to expand a big-government program to provide for everyone's needs. What we need is to shrink the cost of healthcare and expand opportunities for people to get a job so more people can afford it. And since the federal government is not mandated to stabilizing its budget, in order to expand the Medicaid program, it would take higher taxes and or more cuts from state budgets that stand in other areas. These other areas would include detriments to education, transportation, and public safety, which will negatively affect more than just Medicaid.

4|How beneficial is the Medicaid Program?

English 1103 Malcolm Campbell October 2, 2013 Zna Le Grand

Le Grand

References: BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. Change.gov - The Official Web Site of the The U.S. Presidential Transition." Health Care. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013 US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. Garber, Kent. "What Is (and Isn't) in the Healthcare Bill." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 22 Mar. 2010. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. Randolph, Scott. US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. Mahar, Maggie. US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. Turner, Grace-Marie. US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013. Scott, Rick. US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

5|How beneficial is the Medicaid Program?