Characteristics Of Medicare And Medicaid

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Medicare and Medicaid Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law in 1965 to increase healthcare access to identified vulnerable populations. Medicare covers approximately 50 million Americans and in 2012 it was estimated that 65 million Americans were covered under the Medicaid program (Nickitas, Middaugh, & Aries, 2016). Medicare and Medicaid are considered public insurances and today are two of the largest payers in the healthcare system. This paper will attempt to define qualifications of Medicare and Medicaid and discuss the effects of the Affordable Care Act on these programs.
Medicare
The Medicare program is fully funded by the federal government and accounts for approximately 16% of the federal budget. The program was originally designed to provide coverage for people age 65 and older that were no longer eligible for insurance from employers due to retirement. This population was identified due to many stories of families facing financial ruin and hardship because of medical expenses and no medical coverage. …show more content…

In 1972 the program was expanded to include people under the age of 65 that suffered from a permanent disability. Once the person was deemed disable they had a two year waiting period before they could receive benefits unless they were diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease requiring dialysis or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). For theses diagnosis the benefit period was granted with no waiting period stipulations (Nickitas, Middaugh, & Aries,

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