Since the election of President Barak Obama, the issue of universal healthcare has been hotly debated amongst all Americans. At a time when the economy is facing a recession, millions of Americans struggle to pay high medical bills and employers struggle to finance insurance for employees. State governments are also struggling to fund their share of the Medicaid costs. According to Karen Tumulty, a writer for TIME, last month at the National Governors Association in Biloxi, Mississippi, a group of governors discussed one of the latest proposals for revisions to the healthcare plan, this one expanding Medicaid. (Karen Tumulty, Medicaid and the States: Health-Care Reform’s Next Hurdle, available at www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1911856,00.html).
Ever since Medicaid was established in 1965, it has provided health care insurance to low income families, people with disabilities, and the elderly. To qualify for Medicaid, an individual’s income and other assets are considered. The proposed healthcare bill would allow non-elderly people earning at or below 133% of poverty, to be eligible for the program. The Federal Government would cover the entire cost of the expansion, roughly $438 billion over ten years. This expansion would provide an estimated 40 million uninsured Americans with health care insurance, including the cost of nursing home care. However, those Americans will still face their own difficult financial choices in order to qualify.
Tumulty opined that “the proposal could hardly come at a worse time for governors…at least 48 states are facing shortfalls totaling $166 billion.” As politicians gear up for the fight over just which health care plan should be enacted, individuals need to determine what the various plans could mean for them in the future. Most people would agree that all citizens should have access to quality health care. As the broad array of healthcare plans wind through Congress, the determination of the best option will be coupled with the financial expense to individuals. The latter will surreptitiously wind through the process unseen by most of us. As the debate continues, individuals need to be aware of the changes and the possible heavy financial impact on their lives. Be sure that unless we get from under the oppression, control and sky-rocketing expense of the health insurance industry, the expense of doing nothing will crush us. Please continue reading the blog to learn more about the proposed changes. If you are concerned about your own health care needs and plans, please visit our website at: www.nc-law.com.
Whitney Perry, Elon Law School student and summer intern at Booth Harrington & Johns of NC PLLC, provided research and writing assistance in developing this blog article.
Comments