Economists at Harvard and MIT recently examined the question of whether the expansion of Medicaid coverage under new health reform laws will translate into medical care that people need. The outcome? The results were encouraging, providing evidence that Medicaid does indeed make a very positive impact on the lives of recipients.
Medicaid, a federal-state program for low-income and severely disabled individuals, currently covers about 60 million Americans. In order to ensure a high degree of validity, this study took a random selection approach to their research, looking at 10,000 Oregonians who won state-sponsored lottery for Medicaid in 2008 and comparing them to those who applied but were not picked and remained uninsured.
Results show that Medicaid enrollees were 70% more likely to have a regular medical office or clinic for basic case, and 55% more likely to have a personal doctor. They were significantly more likely to use inpatient services, outpatient services, and prescription drugs. They were also more likely to receive preventative care including mammograms and cholesterol screening, which results in fewer expenses in the future which could fall on individuals, federal and state governments.
Furthermore, people receiving Medicaid feel better about their health. The study found that having Medicaid significantly increases the chances people will perceive their health as being good to excellent, while also decreasing the likelihood of their borrowing money or skipping on other bills in order to pay for their medical expenses.
Beginning in 2014, the new health care law will expand Medicaid coverage to more than half of the currently 30 million uninsured people in our country, including thousands of Nebraskans. The positive differences proved by Harvard and MIT will also be seen in the lives of those gaining access to the program, and benefit communities and families in Nebraska and nationwide. Nebraska Appleseed will continue to protect the Medicaid program and to promote health care reform – the difference these programs make in people’s lives is real, positive, and clear.
I have guardianship of my grandson now for 4 years, he is now 6.5 years old. He has lived with me for all but 6 months of his life. During that 6 months he was between 20-26 months old. During that 6 months he witnessed severe Domestic Violence, He witnessed his father brutally assaulting his mother, physically, mentally, and yes sexually. When my grandson left my home he was a very vibrant 18 month old, who loved to talk, walk, laugh and just be silly. He was a lover, always had hugs, and wanted them in return.
6 months later another incident of DV happened, police were called, a standoff took place, my grandson saw his mother being thrown out on the street like a bag of garbarge, and he was held against his will by his father, it took the police 2 hours to get the father out of the home. As the father was taken away in handcuffs, my 2 year old grandson was put in the back of a police cruiser, where he screamed for a full hour, before I convinced the police to allow me to sit in the back with him and hold him.
When the police released my grandson into my custody he grabbed on for dear life, and wouldn’t let go, for a whole day this little boy refused to let go of his grandma, he went mute, and deaf. When I brought him home, my grandson was like a caged animal, he ate out of the garbage can, he kicked, screamed, bit, and became a head banger.
Without MEDICAID, my grandson would never have gotten the services that he did: speech therapy, a loving psychologist, a behavior specialist, and the list goes on. My grandson did not speak for a good year after he was back home with me. As a grandmother living on disability, I could not afford the specialized services that he so desperately needed.
Today my grandson is 6.5, he will be entering 1st grade next year, he went from not speaking to being placed in the gifted program. He went from no language to verbalizing like a 5 or 6 grader. He excells in Math and Science and is once again a very loving little boy. He continues to have some problems though, but really what kid wouldn’t considering all that he saw and heard and at such a young and developing age? I did have to fight with Medicaid to receive the services, but once it started, it literally saved this little boy’s life. Without Medicaid, he would have been placed in the hands of the state and possibly lost in the foster care system. I would not have been able to handle his physical and mental health needs.
Medicaid literally saved my grandson’s life.