Discussion 6.1: Medicaid Expansion Debate
Directions
Use the required readings and the Status of State Action on the Medicaid Expansion Decision to answer these questions:
After reviewing this week’s content consider the following:
- Analyze how ACA Medicaid (Medicaid expansion) differs from other Medicaid programs.
- What problem(s) was the Medicare program originally intended to solve?
- Analyze the differences between Medicare and Medicaid.
- Why have financial considerations been important to the politics of policy.
- Analyze Medicare for all and how would it impact the current Medicare program.
For your post, we will have a debate:
- Take a side on the following topic: Is health care a right or a privilege? If your last name starts with A–K, take the position of it as a right, L–Z take the position of it as a privilege.
- Support your position based on current literature and content from this week.
Post your original response by the end of Day 3. Then, by the end of Day 6, respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.
Week 6: Medicare and Medicaid
Required Readings
Policy and Politics for Nurses and Other Health Professionals
Chapter 11: Medicare: Protector to Innovator
Chapter 12: Medicaid and the Financing of Care for Vulnerable Populations: A Story of Misconceptions
Brill, S. (2013, April 4). Bitter pill: Why medical bills are killing us. Time.
Gale, A. H. (2015). Fifty years of Medicare: The good and the bad. Missouri Medicine, 112(4), 252–257.
Sample Paper
Discussion 6.1: Medicaid Expansion Debate
Analyze how ACA Medicaid (Medicaid expansion) differs from other Medicaid Programs
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has led to various impacts on the U.S. healthcare system. One of them includes Medicaid expansion. This program differs from other Medicaid programs. For instance, Medicare expansion allows the beneficiaries to access a broader range of benefits compared to the Medicare program. Dental, vision, or hearing services are not covered in the original Medicare program. Also, expanded Medicare extends coverage to individuals whose income is below 133 percent of the FDL (Mazurenko et al., 2018).
What problem(s) was the Medicare Program Originally Intended to Solve?
This health insurance program was originally aimed at enhancing access to high quality care among older adults aged (65 years and old) and the disabled, regardless of their income levels (CMS, 2021).
Analyze the Differences between Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare and Medicaid programs have diverse differences. One of them includes eligibility qualifications. Individuals eligible for the Medicare program are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents aged 65 years and older. This program also covers younger people with disabilities and specific health conditions like kidney failure and ALS (CMS, 2021). On the other hand, the Medicaid program covers individuals with incomes below the poverty line. Several states have expanded Medicare eligibility to people with incomes up to 133 percent of the FPL (CMS, 2021). Secondly, Medicaid and Medicare are run differently. Medicare is a federal program. It covers the same healthcare services and products in every state. On the other hand, Medicaid is run by both the federal and state governments (CMS, 2021).
Why have Financial Considerations been Important to the Politics of Policy
Financial considerations have been critical to the politics of policies because of rising healthcare costs in the U.S. This has been a significant issue in the U.S. It affects access to care as more low-income individuals cannot finance their medical services. Also, the issue of high healthcare promotes inequality in healthcare. Thus, this has made policymakers put more emphasis on the financial impacts of the policies formulated.
Analyze Medicare for all and how would it Impact the Current Medicare Program
Medicare for all aims to extend coverage from the elderly to all Americans. This health insurance program would cover essential treatment with no premiums or deductibles. It will also impact the current Medicare program by expanding the categories of benefits to include dental and vision coverage and also long-term care (Kaplan, 2021).
References
Centers for Medicare $ Medicaid Services (CMS), (2021). Brief Summaries of Medicare & Medicaid. References https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/MedicareProgramRatesStats/SummaryMedicareMedicaid
Kaplan, R. L. (2021). Medicare for All vs. Medicare as Is: Eight Key Differences. J. Aging L. & Pol’y, 12, 115. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/jaginlp12§ion=6
Mazurenko, O., Balio, C. P., Agarwal, R., Carroll, A. E., & Menachemi, N. (2018). The effects of Medicaid expansion under the ACA: a systematic review. Health Affairs, 37(6), 944-950. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1491s
