Policy Making and the Federal System Essay

Medicaid is a social health care program that covers nearly 60 million Americans, including children, pregnant women, seniors, parents and individuals suffering with disabilities. Medicaid is the biggest source of funding for health related services and medical needs for the people with low income in the United States. This program is funded jointly by the state and federal level governments, but it is the state’s responsibility to manage this program. The Medicaid program is not a required program that states have to use, but all 50 states have implemented this program. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and its passing in 2010, the ACA unveiled its plans to expand Medicaid eligibility to nearly all low-income adults as an addition to the other groups that fall into the Medicaid eligibility. The Medicaid program had “many gaps in coverage for adults” because it was only restricted to the low income individuals and other people with needs in their own specific category. In the past, the majority of the states who had adults that did not have children dependent on those parents were not eligible for Medicaid. These low income adults without dependent children would be without medical insurance assistance before the ACA was introduced. Medicaid is now available to all Americans under the age of 65 whose family income is at or below the federal poverty guideline of “133 percent or $14,484 for an individual and $29,726 for a family of four in 2011” (NSCL).

Medicaid, which is a separate federal funded insurance was intended to cover low-income, aged, blind, disabled individuals, parents, and their dependent children on welfare. However, the senior citizens are the population group most likely to be living in poverty, and only about half of these individuals have insurance coverage. The difference between 1965 and now, of course, is costs. Years ago spending more on health care in result covering more people were the whole point. The administration wants to broaden coverage, but cut spending.

Universal health care coverage is a dream that the majority of Americans have had for many decades. It seemed that the dream could become a reality with a major effort under the Clinton administration in the mid 1990’s. This effort was spearheaded by the First Lady, Hillary Clinton, and would have established a universal health care system for the entire nation. Unfortunately, after years of work, the effort ended in failure due to trying to modernize and finance universal health care at the same time (Rodwin, 2003). When the current President, Barack Obama, campaigned in 2008, one of his cornerstone promises was to develop a healthcare system that would assure affordable healthcare for all Americans through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care. With only a slight majority of democrats in the Senate and a large majority of Republicans in the House, this would prove to be an uphill battle (Moore, 2014).

One of the main components that had given the Affordable Care Act issues with the uninsured rate in the United States is the growth of the Medicaid program. The Affordable Care Act granted all 50 states billions of dollars in federal financial aid to increase their Medicaid program to insure people who made up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Starting at the beginning of 2016, the federal government reduced its federal aid, covering less than 10 percent of what was promised, which ended up putting more of the responsibility of insuring Medicaid qualified Americans on the states. This caused a fallout of state governors being against ObamaCare, resulting with having 21 states declining any federal funding or expands their

Obamacare expands Medicaid and created a Health Insurance Marketplace, a universal way to sign up for subsidized health care plans. It makes it easier for low income families to receive benefits from Medicaid and other unsubsidized loans. Over half of uninsured Americans can get free or low cost health insurance, and some can get help on out-of-pocket costs using their state’s Health Insurance Marketplace. Through the Marketplace, though, you can only get certain plans from certain providers, as many of them are unwilling to provide subsidized loans. Protections from Obamacare also ensure that you can’t be dropped from … or denied coverage or treatment for

At which time States must offer health insurance to parents and childless adults who have an income up to 100% of the federal poverty line. As of January 1, 2019, States must offer health insurance to parents and childless adults who have an income that does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty line. The amount being paid by the Federal Government is 100% in 2014, which will be diminished over time by 5% and then 10%, with the States being required to pay the difference. If a State chooses not to follow the Expansion plan, it will lose all of its Medicaid funding.

The Affordable Care Act expanded the existing Medicaid program to help cover those Americans living below the current poverty line; this includes adults who were previously excluded from the program benefits. The Affordable Care Act also offered new options for people earning 100 percent to 400 percent of the poverty line to buy private insurance. The Supreme Court made the decision to leave Medicaid expansion up to the states so each state has a choice to expand the program or to leave it as is. Not all states chose to expand the program, this left a large population of low-income people unable to obtain Medicaid and unable to qualify for subsidies in the insurance marketplaces because they earned too little.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Presidential Candidate Barak Obama, used national health care reform as a topic of concern during his campaign. Obama made a promise throughout his campaigning that he would ensure that all Americans will have heath care insurance. The reason for the Affordable Care Act movement was the ever increasing cost of health care and insurance premiums. Another reason supported by Young Rock Hong, a PhD student and graduate assistant at the University of Florida, “The purpose of health insurance is to facilitate sufficient access to health care, and to protect individuals as well as family members from the financial burden, especially associated with catastrophic illness” (1). Health care

In recent years, health care has been a huge topic in public debates, legislations, and even in deciding who will become the next president. There have been many acts, legislations, and debates on what the country has to do in regards to health care. According to University of Phoenix Read Me First HCS/235 (n.d.), “How health care is financed influences access to health care, how health care is delivered, the quality of health care provided, and its cost”.

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States of America. During this year, the United States faced a devastating economic recession. The unemployment rate in America was increasing significantly, so President Barack Obama began to analyze the health care system in place for the citizens of the United States. Two years after President Obama’s election a new form of health care was implemented, as stated in Healthcare Reform in America, “The 2010 health reform legislation, known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was the outcome of a push by the Obama administration to pass major healthcare reform legislation” (Kronenfeld, Jennie and Michael Kronenfeld 97). The

The paper is broken up in to three sections. In section one, we will discuss the problems with the American Healthcare system and we will try and clear up some of the often misrepresented facts about the healthcare problems and solutions to fix them. In section two, we will present some of the solutions being put forward to fix the healthcare system, including plans by both Presidential Candidates

The health care reform debate between 2008 and 2010 led to the passage of Patient Protection and Affordable Act. It was reminiscent of opportunities for reform that have occurred on a cyclical basis throughout American history. These opportunities occurred most notably in the presidential administrations of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and William J. Clinton. (Rich, Cheung, Lurvey, 79). We have to look at recent opportunities that have expanded today.

U.S. health care reform is currently one of the most heavily discussed topics in health discourse and politics. After former President Clinton’s failed attempt at health care reform in the mid-1990s, the Bush administration showed no serious efforts at achieving universal health coverage for the millions of uninsured Americans. With Barack Obama as the current U.S. President, health care reform is once again a top priority. President Obama has made a promise to “provide affordable, comprehensive, and portable health coverage for all Americans…” by the end of his first term (Barackobama.com). The heated debate between the two major political parties over health care reform revolves around how to pay for it and more importantly, whether it

Obamacare may be one of the most debatable topics at the moment ever since 2010. For those who are still confused on what Obamacare is and how it works is understandable and common amongst Americans. Obamacare is also known as the Affordable Care Act. It can be summed up as a law that ensures every American has access to health insurance that is affordable and within their budget. This is done by offering people discounts on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program so they include more people who can’t afford health care. In order for someone to qualify for Obamacare they must have an insurance plan that covers at least ten essential services that pertain

“We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year.” The preceding is a powerful statement from the newly elected President Barak Obama. One of the main aspects of both political campaigns was health care reform. The above quote shows passion and encouragement, but the quotes about health care do not end there. Georgian republican gubernatorial candidate and health care policy maker John Oxendine expressed: “Their proposal would virtually devastate the private healthcare sector in this country along with competition and patient choice, by replacing it with bureaucratic planning and government control. The result of this plan and its one trillion