Entries related to "medicaid"MedicaidMedicaid is a critical building block for health care reform efforts over the long term. Medicaid pays for medical assistance for individuals and families with low incomes and resources and covers 60 million low-income people, including 29.5 million children. It is administered by the states and funded by both the federal and state governments. Medicaid is larger than any single private health insurer.
RESULTS champions Medicaid expansion and improvements because it covers millions of low-income people, including children, the disabled, and seniors. Expansion is costly however, and is requiring increasing federal support to reach more people at or near the federal poverty line, and to insure that access to care is feasible for them. Some health care providers will not see Medicaid patients unless the provider receives what is deemed a reasonable reimbursement from Medicaid and this also increases the costs of Medicaid expansion.
The Long-Awaited Senate Health Reform BillOn Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) released his version of health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There’s lots of good news here, especially for low-income Americans (our focus in this debate) — Reid’s bill expands Medicaid to all persons at or below 133 percent of the poverty line and prioritizes of funding for community health centers (CHC) along the lines of S.486. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will cost $849 billion over ten years and reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion the first ten years. It is expected to provide 31 million uninsured persons with health coverage through Medicaid and private health coverage, thus covering 94 percent of Americans. However, the Senate must first begin debate. The Senate is expected to vote on a Motion to Proceed with tomorrow (Saturday) at 8 pm. 60 votes will be needed to pass the motion and allow debate to begin. If the motion fails, health reform will stall. Health care reform that benefits the most vulnerable – keep the pressure on!President Obama and House and Senate leaders have agreed to forego a formal House-Senate conference committee to reconcile the two health care reform bills and will instead negotiate informally behind closed doors. Democratic leaders stated they will overcome their remaining differences, with the aim of sending a bill to President Obama before his State of the Union address (latest scuttlebutt says February 2). Read Ann’s recap of where things stand and how we’re influencing the process. Health Reform: A Victory for Democracy and the End of Poverty!This week, the House and Senate finally enacted comprehensive, meaningful health reform. The passage of reform is monumental. And while we’ve heard all the talking points as to what reform will do for all Americans, discussed very little is the fact that this health reform legislation is the largest anti-poverty investment in decades. |