In the United States, every one in five people have Medicaid for their insurance provider. Medicaid is the United States’ federal and state health insurance program for low-income households.
This health insurance program covers a broad range of health services while limiting the out-of-pocket cost to the enrollee. Additionally, Medicaid provides a lot of financing for community health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, doctors, and jobs in the healthcare sector.
Medicaid has a unique state-federal partnership. Basically, federal standards regulate the program. However, the states that have Medicaid programs determine their eligibility guidelines, healthcare delivery models, covered services, and hospital and physician payment methods.
If a state wishes to implement and test approaches that differ from federal statute, they can apply for and obtain Section 1115 waivers. This allows each state’s Medicaid programs to vary widely.
As someone who works in a hospital and deals with both in-state and out-of-state Medicaid, I can attest to this. People come from other states are very surprised (usually unpleasantly so) on what is and isn’t covered.
The Medicaid program bases it’s entitlement on two guarantees. First, any and all American citizens…