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Do low income people perform better when given health insurance? The unanimous answer is yes. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research confirms that when low income people are given health insurance, they not only stay healthy and feel better, but also gain more financial stability.
However, there is a question raised by health economists and policy makers as to whether it would make any difference in providing health insurance to the poor. While some say it would help, there are others who say it would not help. At a time when states are cutting back on the insurance program for the low income family, it has become a topic of debate on Medicaid. One of the reasons given against expanding Medicaid is that a safety net already exists. The safety net comes in various forms like charity care, emergency rooms and free clinics.
About the Medicaid program:
The Medicaid program that gives medical insurance coverage to low income women and children has expanded extensively over the last decade. This provides a natural laboratory to learn about the influence of public health insurance eligibility on health utilization, insurance coverage and health outcomes. Various groups of people are covered by the Medicaid. Even with these groups, specific requirements must be met. However, there are special rules for those living in nursing homes and for disabled children living at home. Eligibility for children is based on the child's own status, and not his parents'. If a child is a citizen of U.S. or a lawfully admitted immigrant, he or she is eligible for the coverage, even if the parents are not. However, a large number of new enrollees dropped their private coverage to join the program because many eligible persons already had private insurance coverage. Nevertheless, there were significant improvements in health outcomes, especially infant and child mortality.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP:
During the Obama administration, the federal and state governments have made health insurance for children one of their main priorities. For instance, insurance companies can not deny child coverage even if he or she has a preexisting medical condition. Moreover, the children of the plan holders will also remain under the coverage through the age of twenty-six. CHIP is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. New health care reforms are being signed in and CHIP is the priority in the new administration. CHIP may not be a perfect program, but it is still dedicated to millions of children and their families who can hardly make their ends meet.
Do low income people perform better when given health insurance? The unanimous answer is yes. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research confirms that when low income people are given health insurance, they not only stay healthy and feel better, but also gain more financial stability.
However, there is a question raised by health economists and policy makers as to whether it would make any difference in providing health insurance to the poor. While some say it would help, there are others who say it would not help. At a time when states are cutting back on the insurance program for the low income family, it has become a topic of debate on Medicaid. One of the reasons given against expanding Medicaid is that a safety net already exists. The safety net comes in various forms like charity care, emergency rooms and free clinics.
About the Medicaid program:
The Medicaid program that gives medical insurance coverage to low income women and children has expanded extensively over the last decade. This provides a natural laboratory to learn about the influence of public health insurance eligibility on health utilization, insurance coverage and health outcomes. Various groups of people are covered by the Medicaid. Even with these groups, specific requirements must be met. However, there are special rules for those living in nursing homes and for disabled children living at home. Eligibility for children is based on the child's own status, and not his parents'. If a child is a citizen of U.S. or a lawfully admitted immigrant, he or she is eligible for the coverage, even if the parents are not. However, a large number of new enrollees dropped their private coverage to join the program because many eligible persons already had private insurance coverage. Nevertheless, there were significant improvements in health outcomes, especially infant and child mortality.
The Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP:
During the Obama administration, the federal and state governments have made health insurance for children one of their main priorities. For instance, insurance companies can not deny child coverage even if he or she has a preexisting medical condition. Moreover, the children of the plan holders will also remain under the coverage through the age of twenty-six. CHIP is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. New health care reforms are being signed in and CHIP is the priority in the new administration. CHIP may not be a perfect program, but it is still dedicated to millions of children and their families who can hardly make their ends meet.
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Date Added: 2011-10-22 Views : 98