Health Care

OVERVIEW
Medicaid helps millions of Americans each year who are elderly, diabled or below poverty level recieve medical insurance which they otherwise can not afford. Billions of dollars are spent each year on Medicaid and there seems to be mixed emotions regarding how much is being spent. In Ohio about $1 out of every $3 is spent on Medicaid, many feel that this is just too much money being spent out of the state's budget. The state has federal guidelines they must follow in order for a person to qualify for Medicaid but many people are still without insurance and cannot afford to get private healthcare. Some politians are fighting for stricter guidelines to help relieve some of the spending but what many people do not realize is that the income guidelines the state follows goes off your gross income not what a family is actually bringing home. For example in order for a family of four to qualify for Medicaid they have to be within 90% of the federal poverty level and gross only $1,654 a month. Many single people can not live off $1,654 a month. The government does however allow for a higher monthly income when it comes to children under the age of 19. The parent or guradian can fall within 200% of the federal poverty level and and for a family size of four make $3,675/month. With these numbers in mind is it fair to say that the poor has to stay poor just to survive?
HISTORY
Medicaid was created in July of 1965 through the Title XIX Social Security Act. Although each state runs its own Medicaid program the federal government monitors these state-run programs and decides how much funding each state gets and sets the eligibilty requirements. In the begiining, Medicaid was originally thought to be used only for welfare recipients but is a a catch-all provided for around 40 million people costing about $170 billion dollars a year to federal and state governments. In 2000, Medicaid accounted for health coverage for one in four children and 40% of births in the U.S.
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