It is widely known that to obtain the necessary medical care for certain population groups is problematic. This applies especially to the elderly and to the people living below the poverty line. Since such people are often unable to afford the paid medical treatment, they have to rely only on the state aid. And such instruments in need are the government programs Medicaid and Medicare. Although these programs are quite different, they are both controlled by the division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Together they performed a great help for the certain groups of people who would not be able to receive proper medical care without these programs (Medicalnewstoday.com, n.d.).
The aim of this work is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these programs and the role of them in American life. Such analysis helps to identify problems that can be eliminated and the positive aspects that can be developed and improved. The project methodology is based on the study of the essence of the two separate programs, compare them and identify positive and negative aspects. In addition, the methodology includes the analysis of the programs’ impact on American society with the purpose to identify their contribution to the development and improvement of people's lives.
As for Medicare, then this program is aimed primarily at people reaching 65 years of age and persons with disabilities. This medical insurance provides a variety of medical services included in the program. Thus, a person involved in the program can choose any type of medical care. Of course, the selected type of treatment must be approved by Medicare or the necessary range of services should be carried out in establishments approved by the program. It is good for people who constantly use this insurance. Medicare also has its own hierarchy of types of medical care.Types A and B are an ordinary insurance policy, C and D correspond to the advanced Medicare. Part A is responsible for hospital care, a short stay in nursing homes as well as some types of home care. Part B costs relate primarily to pay doctors, outpatient services, and payment of certain procedures. Part C, in addition to the services included in type A and B also covers the cost of prescription drugs and insurance costs associated with vision. Part D covers the costs of medicines. Such system is necessary to determine the amount of the premium. Since the Medicare-type A does not usually require premium, the patient will have to pay only for the services from the list B. Another advantage of the program is that policyholders are not limited to one separate medical program. They can be treated by different programs in different hospitals, which they seem to be preferred. Medicare insurance can provide health care from a variety of physicians and particular specialist. Furthermore, if necessary, the program can come to the reception to the right specialist at any time, without wasting time on getting referrals. This is especially true if needed urgent medical attention, which is very important especially for older and disabled people. But, unfortunately, not everyone can benefit from participation in this program. Despite the sponsorship of the state, Medicare policyholders still have to pay for medical services. For example, people have to take about 20 percent of all expenditures. Very often, this percentage is much higher. The annual costs of insurance can be much less than the amount that will need to pay for the services. Also, Medicare does not provide medical care outside the country. The only costs that they cover are the costs of emergency medical care. Thus, this insurance is not enough if a person is going to travel. Another drawback can be the complexity of the situation that can occur when obtaining services from the type D. This is due to the fact that in order to obtain the necessary medication, people sometimes need to contact with several entities, on purpose not to exceed a spending limit, corresponding with the insurance (Nlcatp.org, n.d.).
As it can be seen from the above, Medicaid and Medicare are responsible for a fairly large segment of those in need of assistance in medical care. And both of these programs have an enormous impact on American society. It is perfectly illustrated by the fact that before the launch of these programs, about half of people who have reached 65 years of age did not have health insurance. Nowadays, almost all older people have health insurance. Medicaid and Medicare both provide health care for every 1 in 3 Americans. Life expectancy after 65 years after the introduction of the programs has increased by six years for men and almost four years for women (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2015). Also, with the introduction of these government programs segregation on racial and ethical grounds has gone, as hospitals and nursing homes have to take all the participating in the program, otherwise, they do not receive funding. It has made a significant contribution to the abolition of segregation in general. This contribution was not very noticeable but played an important role in the abolition of the separation of hospitals for ordinary Americans and African Americans. After taking part in the program and receiving public money, hospitals and nursing homes have been forced to accept as the black patients. Of course, it is not abolished racial prejudice, but by law and by the possibility of obtaining all the necessary assistance everybody was equal after entering these programs. This was especially true for the southern states. Increasing the number of people seeking assistance, healthcare costs increased as well. From 1950 until 1990 the level of expenditure has risen by about 40 percent. The salary of doctors has become directly dependent on the quality of their services, rather than the quantity. Before launching the programs, each reception at the doctor and each analysis has a fixed price regardless of whether the measures taken are necessary for the patient or not. The result was that about 30 percent of all spending on health care was spent on unnecessary tests and care. In the future, the state plans to change the system, and by 2018, the cost of health care will directly depend on its efficiency and quality. And as the government programs Medicare and Medicaid change the system under which they pay doctors and the other insurance companies change their billing policy (Whitman, 2015). Furthermore, previously, many children from poor families were uninsured. Today, insurance coverage for the medical care of children becoming common even among the middle class. The majority of children from poor families has insurance. As can be seen in some of the indicators, the number of people who receive the necessary medical care has increased. Many people who previously could not afford the necessary procedures now have the opportunity to be treated by qualified professionals (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2015). In general, it can be said that these two programs have changed the health care system in America, and saved many lives. Largely due to Medicaid, more and more people are getting health insurance. More and more states are resolved to expand Medicaid, with an emphasis on preventive health care measures, rather than an ambulance. And this is a lot of sense because the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. As for Medicare, it is largely thanks to this program, about 75 percent of older people were able to get health insurance. Accordingly, they have an opportunity to apply for this help whenever they need it. Not surprisingly, in these conditions, the duration of the lives of Americans has increased. They no longer have to spend all their savings on treatment. Instead, the elderly, as well as people with disabilities, have an access to the modern medicine. Accordingly, the money they have saved and not spent on medical procedures, they can use on their own needs, or travel. It improves the quality of life of the nation as a whole.
As for the future, these two programs over time will affect the American society even greater. For example, in 2030 about 81 million people will participate in the in the Medicare program (Whitman, 2015). This is related to some problems. Health care costs will increase, and this is the main challenge that now faces these programs. Already it is clear that current funding is insufficient to provide medical assistance to all those in need at the proper level. And this means that either the quality of services will decrease for program participants or sufficient funding assistance to the needy will affect other social programs. Thus, the government will need to find new revenue sources for the operation of the programs. Experts warn that by 2019, Medicare will not have enough money even to provide assistance in the list of type A. All this is due to the fact that the number of older people will increase in the coming years (Kff.org, 2008). So everything will depend on whether the government will find the money to support the poor and the elder people. If the money is found, then the impact on American society of these two programs will be huge. Then a lot of people who could not afford a good treatment will be able to get it. And as everybody knows, healthy people bring much more benefit to the society than ill ones. In addition, one cannot rule out the attention of children from poor families, who now receive the necessary medical care. These children will grow up and become the full members of society and compose a healthier nation than it would be in the absence of these two programs. Thus, the advantage of Medicare and Medicaid is an indisputable fact. Giving people, who cannot afford it, a proper treatment is a great benefit to society. They benefit now, and will continue to benefit in the future.
In conclusion, it can be said that Medicare and Medicaid are a really important part of the medical system of the USA. And they both have its pros and cons. In principle, almost all the disadvantages of the programs relate to the lack of funding and these problems will only increase if the government does not find new sources of funding. However, any system has its drawbacks, since nothing is perfect in this world. The creators of these programs understand and see all the flaws and drawbacks of their creations. Therefore, they understand, in which direction they should develop and work. And despite all this, the positive aspects of the program make Medicare and Medicaid extremely useful for the society. Providing medical care for people who would not get it in the absence of these programs is of great importance. All this improves the quality and duration of life. And this, in turn, contributes to the development of society as a whole, as well as a healthy nation will be more involved in the production and science. We can only hope that these programs will not disappear in the future, and continue to improve, and with it there will be new programs, which will cover an even greater number of people in need.
References
Alonso-Zaldivar, R. (2015). Then & Now: Medicare and Medicaid turn 50. The Big Story. Retrieved 10 February 2016, from http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e3c3a5c9e00b4517960ce57416e65a82/then-now-medicare-and-medicaid-turn-50
Kff.org,. (2008). Medicare Now and in the Future. Retrieved 10 February 2016, from http://kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/medicare-now-and-in-the-future/
Medicaidpatients.com,. Medicaid: Pros and Cons | Medicaid Patients and Rights of Medicaid Patients. Discrimination Against Medicaid Patients. Transportation Providers. Retrieved 9 February 2016, from http://www.medicaidpatients.com/medicaid-pros-and-cons/
Medicalnewstoday.com,. What is Medicare? What is Medicaid?. Retrieved 9 February 2016, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/medicare-medicaid
Nlcatp.org,. 6 Major Pros and Cons of Medicare | NLCATP.org. Retrieved 10 February 2016, from http://nlcatp.org/6-major-pros-and-cons-of-medicare/
Whitman, E. (2015). Medicare, Medicaid 50th Anniversary: 5 Facts About How They Changed Health Insurance And Medical Care. International Business Times. Retrieved 10 February 2016, from http://www.ibtimes.com/medicare-medicaid-50th-anniversary-5-facts-about-how-they-changed-health-insurance-2030255
