The Advantages and Disadvantages of Medicaid

Generally defined, Medicaid is a program in the United States set up on a state and federal basis that enables limited income individuals to receive assistance with medical costs and resources. Additionally, it also offers other benefits that aren’t usually covered by Medicare, such as home care, personal care services, and nursing. The advantages and disadvantages of Medicaid vary by situation, but we have them outlined for you below.

While there are many advantages of using a program such as Medicaid, something like this also comes with its share of disadvantages as well. These include the following:

Advantages of Medicaid

1. Medicaid is a program that focuses on both elderly individuals and individuals who suffer from various disabilities. More specifically, seniors and disabled individuals have been shown to account for approximately two-thirds of medical aid spending in the United States.
2. Those who are on Medicaid will find that their patient copay costs are generally lower and much more affordable. Typically, these can be as low as just $2, and there are even some procedures that don’t even require any copay at all.
3. Medicaid guarantees some amount of financial protection, as many medical care expenses are covered under this program. This means that those who are on a lower income and end up having to go into the hospital for a serious procedure won’t be as financially burdened as a result.
4. Those who are on Medicaid are entitled to receive care via privately managed care plans. These types of plans are largely responsible for providing access to services offered through Medicaid.

Disadvantages of Medicaid

1. While Medicaid is, as previously mentioned, designed to serve lower-income individuals, not all low-income individuals will actually qualify for this service. Each state has its own set of specific guidelines in terms of qualifying for Medicaid.
2. In the event that someone on Medicaid ends up suffering an emergency, they can sometimes end up enduring lower quality treatment simply because they are on Medicaid. On Medicaid, the affected individual may not be able to undergo some of the necessary treatment.
3. There are some instances in which those who are on Medicaid have become the targets of discrimination – more specifically, elderly individuals in nursing homes. These individuals tend to be more prone to this type of treatment than anything else, and can also end up getting transferred to other settings.
4. With Medicaid, some specific procedures can end up getting denied even after services have been rendered to an individual. This is because there are some services that are considered to be experimental or unnecessary, meaning that they are not covered by Medicaid.

These are some of the most common advantages and disadvantages of being on a program such as Medicaid. The most important thing to keep in mind is that having Medicaid in no way is a bad thing, nor should it make you feel like you don’t deserve the same type of medical treatment as everyone else. Despite this type of service not covering every single procedure, it does cover a lot of the basics, and can even end up covering an important emergency procedure that you may need to have taken care of as well.

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