Medicaid and Medicare
Summarize ways in which health insurance fails, as people get older. Distinguish between Medicaid and Medicare. Determine whether your state has expanded Medicaid. Why would states choose not to participate in Medicaid expansion?
Include 3 references
I live in the state of Florida
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Introduction:
As people age, their health insurance needs change. Health insurance failures typically arise from the decline in coverage, higher deductibles, higher premiums and limited providers. Medicaid and Medicare provide two critical programs to assist individuals with medical costs as they get older. In this essay, we will summarize the ways in which health insurance fails with increasing age, distinguish Medicaid and Medicare, determine if Florida has expanded Medicaid, and list reasons why states may choose not to participate in Medicaid expansion.
Ways in which health insurance fails as people get older:
As individuals get older, health insurance companies look at them as riskier investments, consequently offering higher premiums. In addition to higher premiums, most policies cover less or completely exclude the pre-existing conditions often occurring with age. Furthermore, Medicare does not cover all health expenses, and even with supplemental health insurance, many seniors may not be able to afford their medical bills (Bailey & Collins, 2014).
Differences between Medicaid and Medicare:
Medicaid is a government-funded program that provides health coverage for low-income Americans. The program is jointly financed by federal and state governments and provides healthcare for low-income individuals with children, pregnant women, low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities. In contrast, Medicare is the federal health insurance program which offers coverage for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (CMS, n.d.).
Medicaid Expansion in Florida:
Florida did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was intended to expand access to affordable health care. The state chose not to participate in expansion due to political opposition, budget concerns, and uncertainty surrounding the ACA. Non-participation in Medicaid expansion has impacted Florida’s uninsured rate negatively as it has one of the highest uninsured populations in the country (Klein, 2019).
Reasons why states may not participate in Medicaid expansion:
States which have decided not to participate in Medicaid expansion state the program is cost-prohibitive; furthermore, some prefer to maintain control over their health programs or due to opposition to the federal government’s involvement in healthcare (Kates, Rudowitz, & Artiga, 2014).
References
Bailey, K. L., & Collins, S. R. (2014). Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care Among Older Americans: Estimates from the Affordable Care Act and Other Sources. The Commonwealth Fund, 23.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Medicare Program Overview.
Kates, J., Rudowitz, R., & Artiga, S. (2014). A Guide to the Supreme Court’s Decision on the ACA’s Medicaid Expansion. Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, 1-17.
Klein, R. (2019). Why Florida Has Some of the Highest Uninsured Rates in the Country. Time. Retrieved from
Conclusion:
As people age, their health insurance needs change, and the coverage offered by insurance companies often becomes insufficient. Medicaid and Medicare are the two programs aimed at assisting individuals with medical costs as they get older. Medicaid caters to low-income individuals, whereas Medicare is a federal health program that covers medical expenses for seniors, people with disabilities and end-stage diseases. Florida has decided not to participate in Medicaid expansion due to several reasons including budget concerns and political opposition. States that choose not to participate in Medicaid expansion often cite the program’s cost as a prohibitive factor.
