Medicaid is a joint program between the federal and the state program in which the former provides requirements and the latter implements the services. It provides healthcare coverage to American citizens, including low-income adults, pregnant women, seniors, and children (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022). Key characteristics of the Medicaid beneficiaries are that they live in poverty, have little experience in disease prevention and healthcare systems, have part-time jobs, have multiple caregiving responsibilities, and may not afford high-quality childcare. The billing process differs by state, but one of the rules is to bill only for the services that are covered. Another requirement is ensuring that the beneficiary is eligible for furnished services. In addition, they can ensure that all records are valid and signed. Therefore, by providing the right information about eligibility, the type of service received, and the records, the beneficiaries make work easier for the billing specialist.
My opinion is that veterans receive better healthcare services because healthcare professionals adore them for the sacrifices they made in protecting the country. Medicaid provides benefits only to eligible veterans who are not able to pay their bills (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022). In turn, some veterans benefit from Medicaid because the program is designed to help people living in poverty. Others that are financially stable can pay with private insurance. Moreover, eligible veterans must have paid the initial cost of their service before requesting Medicaid. There are only two instances when Medicaid can clear the payment, including emergency care in a non-veteran affair facility (lay) nursing home charge (Medicaid, 2020). Previously, I thought that all ex-soldiers received free high-quality care for a lifetime. Now I understand that the veterans are also expected to pay for their service unless they cannot afford it.
References
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Medicaid. Medicaid.gov: the official U.S. government site for Medicare | Medicaid. Web.
Medicaid. Coordination of Benefits and Third Party Liability (COB/TPL) In Medicaid 2020. Web.
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Health care coverage options for military veterans. HealthCare.gov. Web.