Federal medical assistance programs are implemented to guarantee decent medical care and treatment of the part of the country’s population that needs this type of assistance. Among the most widespread are Medicaid and Medicare, which are sponsored by the government and have high enrollment rates throughout the United States. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the benefits of Medicaid and Medicare and conclude which one has a greater impact on the citizens of Florida.
To start with, both programs aim at providing health insurance to U.S. citizens. However, they have a significant difference in the targeted layers of the population. While Medicaid does provide people of any age with covering medical expenses, it only aims at those with low income, who do not have funds to pay for medical care. Medicaid is usually free or low-cost, so it is of great assistance to the poor and underpaid. On the contrary, Medicare provides health insurance only to the citizens older than 65 or those younger but having a severe condition, like disability or severe disease (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2020). The main requirement for Medicare enrollment is to have worked for ten years at a job where the potential applicant paid Medicare taxes. However, even though the two programs differ, an applicable person can benefit from both, which is an excellent opportunity to get enough financial support in health services.
Considering that Florida has one of the highest rates of senior citizens in the country, such a program like Medicare has proven to be very popular among the elderly population of the state (Population Reference Bureau, 2019). While some seniors can still access Medicaid, most of the elderly population in Florida has a stable financial position and does not apply to the Medicaid program (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2020). Medicare is a fully federal program and has been working successfully for the benefit of the elderly for many years. Additionally, in August 2020, Florida refused to expand Medicaid, making it more difficult for people to access the program. Thus, the Medicare program is now widely used among the elderly to access skilled nursing care and nursing homes. Therefore, it proves the broader scope of enrollment to Medicare in Florida and its strong impact on the citizens of the state.
To conclude, Medicaid and Medicare are two major federal programs that provide healthcare insurance. They have been especially beneficial for senior citizens aged 65 and older, ensuring that their medical expenses are timely covered, and the elderly have decent nursing care. However, between the two programs, Medicare has proven to be more popular for both financial and social reasons discussed in the paper.
References
Population Reference Bureau. (2019). Which U.S. States Have the Oldest Populations? Web.
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2020). Medicare Program – General Information. Web.
U.S. Department of Commerce. (2020). QuickFacts Florida. Web.