Argumentative Essay: Does The Medicaid Work?

The Medicaid program was made into law in 1965. It is sponsored by the state and federal government. The federal government pays fifty-seven percent and the state government pays the remaining forty-three percent. Pew Research Center provides information to the public about the issues going on around the world said, “Medicaid is the largest public health insurance program in the United States, covering both acute and long-term care for over sixty-six million low-income Americans” (Medicaid). Medicaid eligibility is based family income in relation to the federal poverty level. Medicaid does not cover families that the fathers work, even if the family income is below the government approved poverty line. According to Jonathan Gruber an American Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts institute of technology, said, Medicaid is really “four public insurance programs in one.” Screenivasan Jyotsna is a professional writer and editor who wrote that “Medicaid offers insurance for four different populations: poor women and children; disabled poor people; and poor elderly who are in …show more content…
“In 1987, states were allowed to cover women and infants with incomes of up to 185 percent of federal poverty line.” Then in “1994, the federal government passed the vaccines for children program, which provides free childhood vaccines” (Gruber). Unexpected health care issues such as Virus, diseases, introduction and finance of new drug or treatment and enrollment of prisoners needing health care services forces government to decide who is eligible for Medicaid. Bruce Valdeck, a Professor of health policy and geriatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York, said, “In the past two decades Medicaid has helped finance the release of the mentally retarded and a growing proportion of the mentally ill.” Therefore, increase the budget the government