Medicare and Medicaid
COMPARE AND CONTRAST MEDICAID AND MEDICARE
Medicaid and Medicare are two different government programs. Both programs were created in 1965 to help older and low-income families be able to buy their own private health insurance. These programs were part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” plan, a commitment to helping meet the needs of individual health care. They are social insurance programs, which allow the financial load of patient’s illnesses to be shared by other healthy, sick, wealthy, and lower income individuals and families.
Medicaid insurance covers approximately 60 million Americans, according to their income. Medicaid is larger than any other single private health insurance program. The criteria for participating would include those who are unable to work due to disabilities, anyone who receives Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), as well as single, pregnant women who fall below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). In 2011, the FPL for a family of four was set at $22,350. This amount is updated yearly. Medicaid also helps those who are part of the Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) program (Mann, 2012). Funding for Medicaid comes from the government as well as each state’s department of SSI. They are also responsible for administering funds.
In the other hand, Medicare is a federal government program that offers individual health care insurance to those who are 65 or older, and/or have a disability, no matter what their income level. Taxes that are deducted from one’s payroll helps pay for the Medicare program. Medicare is intended to benefit seniors, younger people with specific disabilities, and people with end stage renal disease. The Medicare program has four parts; Parts A, B, C, and D.
The social security department pays for a portion of Part A. Part A helps pay for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care and other services.
Part B is paid for by the monthly premiums of people enrolled and by
Medicaid and Medicare are two different government programs. Both programs were created in 1965 to help older and low-income families be able to buy their own private health insurance. These programs were part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” plan, a commitment to helping meet the needs of individual health care. They are social insurance programs, which allow the financial load of patient’s illnesses to be shared by other healthy, sick, wealthy, and lower income individuals and families.
Medicaid insurance covers approximately 60 million Americans, according to their income. Medicaid is larger than any other single private health insurance program. The criteria for participating would include those who are unable to work due to disabilities, anyone who receives Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), as well as single, pregnant women who fall below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). In 2011, the FPL for a family of four was set at $22,350. This amount is updated yearly. Medicaid also helps those who are part of the Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) program (Mann, 2012). Funding for Medicaid comes from the government as well as each state’s department of SSI. They are also responsible for administering funds.
In the other hand, Medicare is a federal government program that offers individual health care insurance to those who are 65 or older, and/or have a disability, no matter what their income level. Taxes that are deducted from one’s payroll helps pay for the Medicare program. Medicare is intended to benefit seniors, younger people with specific disabilities, and people with end stage renal disease. The Medicare program has four parts; Parts A, B, C, and D.
The social security department pays for a portion of Part A. Part A helps pay for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care and other services.
Part B is paid for by the monthly premiums of people enrolled and by
References: 1. Fong, Tony. (2005). Assessing Four Decades of Medicare, Medicaid, 6-7, 24, 42 http://hs1.farmingdale.edu:2177/docview/211948589/13AE0E52EFA2427EF35/8?accountid=8066 2. Berkowitz, Edward (2008). Medicare and Medicaid: The Past as Prologue. Health Care Financing Review29. 3: 81-93 http://hs1.farmingdale.edu:2177/docview/196958775?accountid=8066 3. Carlson, G. (2009). Difference between Medicaid and Medicare. Health Feature articles http://missourifamilies.org/features/healtharticles/health46.htm 6. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (2009). Focus on Health Reform. Health Reform Opportunities: Improving Policy for Dual Eligible, pgs. 1-7 http://www.kff.org/medicaid/upload/7957.pdf