Medicaid is a government-run health insurance program for low-income individuals and families. It is funded by both the federal government and state governments, and each state administers its own Medicaid program. The problems with Medicaid are just like the problems with every other facility this healthcare system has extended: endless.
I'm Andy Lazris, and I've spent over two decades practicing medicine. Having witnessed and experienced firsthand the difficulties created for patients by institutions designed to support them, I'm positive there's a lot that can be done to renovate the system. Check out my nonfiction book, Curing Medicare, published by Cornell University Press. In it, I've included statistics and personal experiences to draw a map for nonmedical personnel to show how anti-care the system is.
The issue isn't restricted to the holes and gaps within the system, it's also that Medicaid doesn't seem to be the long-term solution it was meant to be. If you buy Health care reform book, it's apparent that no aid program in American medical history lasted long enough to make a marked difference in national health. History books will outline how the idea of national healthcare has been raised and shot down by the government for over a century.
It's fairly odd that despite the US being a superpower, the medical industry (especially if you include pharmaceuticals) earns billions every year. Of course, the age-old justification is that the profits are a simple subsequence of their actions and are in no way the intention with which they operate. Every book in a non-fiction bookstore online will tell you otherwise.
Continuous Coverage: The Punchline
There's no way that the solution to the deteriorating health of the average American is based on Medicaid; in fact, a closer look shows that unless it's seriously reworked, Medicaid itself may be on its way out.
It's estimated that 5.3 million to 14.2 million beneficiaries could lose coverage as the Biden administration rolls back the continuous coverage provision. The inclusion of continuous coverage is truly laughable. So if you're a beneficiary, then welcome to the wonderful world of continuous coverage provisions in Medicaid!
If you're tired of worrying about whether or not you'll be able to afford healthcare for yourself and your loved ones, then don't worry, because, with continuous coverage, you'll never have to worry about a coverage gap again. But wait, there's a catch. You'll have to make sure you never lose coverage. Not even for a day. If you do, you'll be subjected to pesky premiums and waiting periods.
It's as if it didn't occur to anyone at the time of Medicaid's conception that life is unpredictable. If only they'd stopped to read a healthcare system-related book.
Unfortunately for those who wait eagerly to say, "Well, something is better than nothing", in this case, we might not have something for much longer. This continuous coverage provision is completely unsustainable. It's put an enormous strain on state budgets, and it's only a matter of time before the whole system collapses.
So when you choose Medicaid, which is apparently the absolute best our government could do for us, you get the constant stress and insecurity of never knowing if you'll be able to afford healthcare. It's the American way!
Oversight: A Medical Tradition
The management of Medicare is a veritable circus of bureaucracy, mismanagement, and a complete lack of concern for the patient experience. But hey, at least it's a cheap form of healthcare, right?
First of all, the eligibility requirements for Medicaid state that to qualify for the program, a person must have a low income and limited financial resources. This sounds fine on paper, but it can be an absolute nightmare for people trying to navigate the system. The eligibility requirements vary from state to state, so if you happen to live in one state and then move to another, you may suddenly find yourself no longer eligible for Medicaid.
The documentation requirements and the endless back-and-forth with government agencies make it even more nightmarish, especially when you consider that healthcare is no luxury. Or at least it shouldn't be.
Even if you manage to jump through all the hoops and get enrolled in Medicaid, you get to experience the struggle of finding a healthcare provider who actually accepts Medicaid. Many doctors and hospitals don't accept Medicaid because the reimbursement rates are so low, which means that people on Medicaid often have a hard time finding a healthcare provider.
If they do manage to find one, they may have to wait months for an appointment because the provider is so overbooked with other Medicaid patients. So hospitals that lend themselves to bettering America are repaid by being overburdened.
Once you get an appointment, don't expect the quality of care to be on par with what someone with private insurance might receive. Medicaid patients are often treated as second-class citizens, with providers rushing through appointments and not giving them the same level of attention as their privately insured counterparts. It's a sad reality, but it's the unfortunate truth of the American healthcare system.
It's not just the patients who suffer under the Medicaid program. The program itself is plagued by fraud and abuse, with providers billing for services that were never rendered or for unnecessary treatments. The government has tried to crack down on this sort of fraud, but it's an ongoing battle. Even when fraud is detected, it's often the taxpayers who end up footing the bill, not the perpetrators of the fraud.
Follow The Rules And Medicaid Has You Covered, Sort Of
One would think that with the lengths one has to go to even get Medicaid, it would be comprehensive health insurance, but apparently, that only exists in medical fiction books.
Given that this program is reserved for those most in need, one of the problems with Medicaid is that it often doesn't cover certain elective procedures, such as cosmetic surgery or fertility treatments. This means that people are often unable to access these types of procedures, even if they are medically necessary for their health and well-being.
In addition, it frequently doesn't cover mental health services, such as therapy or counseling. This is especially concerning given the high rates of mental illness in the country and the fact that mental health services are essential for individuals' overall health and well-being. shop Health Benefits related books anywhere, and it's always emphasized how important a healthy mindset is to overall health. For urgent issues, there's red tape to be navigated, as well as state-specific rules and regulations. Needless to say, researching these things is the last thing one needs when they need medical attention.
Another area where Medicaid falls short is in the coverage of dental services. Many people on Medicaid cannot afford basic dental care, such as cleanings and fillings, and are forced to go without or seek out alternative, often subpar, sources of care. Dental problems can bring infections that spread throughout the rest of the body, causing significant damage, and the only way to rule this out is regular dental checks. When people neglect things like dentistry and mental health, issues often go unrecognized until they become impossible to ignore.
Finally, Medicaid often doesn't cover prescription drugs, particularly if they are considered "luxury" or "non-essential" drugs. This means that people on Medicaid often cannot afford the medications they need to treat their medical conditions, leading to worsening health outcomes and higher costs in the long run.
My nonfiction and online fiction book stores delve into the many flaws in our healthcare system. The Great Stupidity, an affordable fiction book, uses an unfamiliar setting to explore the dramatic yet ineffective approaches that the government seems to take to every little problem. My books allow readers to get some perspective about what the root causes are so that they can be better advocates for a better system. Buy The Geriatrics Vengeance Club online, and don't miss the upcoming book by me, Andy Lazris, A Fork in the Road in Baltimore.
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