Medicare and Medicaid are designed to supplement the private insurance industry in covering the American population. They are both federal programs, where Medicare is designed for people over sixty five or with a severe disability and Medicaid is designed for people with low income. These programs are meant to ensure that regardless of your particular situation, your healthcare needs will be met. These two programs were introduced by the Johnson administration in 1960s. “Since 1965, some 112 million Americans have been covered by Medicare; in 2006, 43 million were enrolled. In 1967, Medicaid served 10 million poor citizens; in 2006, it served 63 million people,” so we can see that these two programs have had a lasting effect on the American population (Calfino, 2008). Without these programs many Americans would not be able to afford healthcare at all.
There are four parts to Medicare, parts A, B, C, and D. These four parts define the four types of coverage that Medicare provide, where part A is hospital coverage, part B is medical coverage, part C combines parts A and B, and part D is prescription drug coverage. Medicare part C is considered universal, as it combines parts A, B, and D. Medicare part B is considered an elective option, where the user pays “premiums by way of monthly deductions from [their] social security benefits,” while part A is not considered an elective option because the government automatically for it through Medicare (“Coverage Options”). The many options for healthcare under Medicare can seem very confusing, however, the diversity of the program is necessary in order to completely meet all the needs of a diverse and ever changing population.
References
Califano, J. A., Jr. (2008, May 19). Seeing Is Believing - The Enduring Legacy of Lyndon Johnson. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://www.lbjlibrary.org/lyndon-baines-johnson/perspectives-and-essays/seeing-is-believing-the-enduring-legacy-of-lyndon-johnson/
Coverage Options. (2015, October 1). Retrieved June 6, 2016, from https://www.thehealthplan.com/Meridian/Content_With_Template/Gold/Understanding_Medicare/Coverage_Options/
