Medicaid Current Events Issues

Overview of Medicaid

To understand Medicaid current issues, it is useful to first review Medicaid. Medicaid was established back in 1965 as part of the Social Security Act. It provides medical coverage for low-income parents and their children, along with seniors or people with qualifying disabilities.

Often confused with the program Medicare, Medicaid is available to persons under the age of 65. To qualify for Medicare, you must be 65 or older.

Medicaid is funded at both the state and federal level. Each individual state administers its own program. Sometimes the states will change the name from Medicaid to something catchier. Examples include Medi-Cal in California and TennCare in Tennessee.

Since states run the program, eligibility requirements can vary from state to state. The difference between states, however, is usually minor. When reading about Medicaid current events issues, you’ll often find news about how a state is trying to solve their Medicaid problems.

You should also know that the federal government doesn’t sit back and let the state’s run Medicaid unchecked. An agency called Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) monitors each state.

Medicaid Current Events Issues

Here is a sampling of Medicaid current events.

Medicaid in Georgia

In an effort to provide additional care for the most at-risk groups of people, Georgia is providing incremental benefits based on need. Those who have the most need will receive additional aid. The state is also trying to make prescription drugs available to everyone. By creating the “RX Outreach” plan, Georgia is trying to provide more generic drugs to groups who may not be able to afford non-generic prescriptions.

Medicaid in Indiana

Indiana is choosing to focus on the needs of families with the “Hoover Health Plan.” It is a standard Medicaid plan that also provides information to families regarding ways of preventing health problems and general health information.

New Medicaid Whistleblower Law

Whistle-blowing is now required by all health care employees who work for companies that do $5 million or more in Medicaid business each year. Employers will have to teach employees about this new law and provide training in how to detect and report fraud. The employer must also assure the employees that there will not be any consequences for whistle-blowing.

Medicaid in Florida

To help those who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, Florida offers a “Medically Needy” program. Patients in this program will pay a certain portion of their medical expenses each month while their application is being considered. The level of coverage and whether you are eligible for the program will depend on how much your medical bills are, along with your family size and income.

External Resources

To keep up with the latest Medicaid developments, visit Medicare-Medicaid.com. For more in depth analysis of current events, consider looking at the Heritage Foundation website. Even if you don’t agree with the politics of this think-tank, the topics addressed are timely and informative.