Medicaid Program

Medicaid Program
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The Medicaid Program
Medicaid program is as a result of the combined efforts if the federal and state governments. The program is aimed at providing health coverage to many Americans including eligible small income earners, pregnant women, children, the disabled and the elderly (Medicaid, 2018). The Medicaid Program was a successor to the Medical Assistance for the Aged Act commonly known as the Kerr-Mills Act enacted in the year 1960 (FINE, 1998, p. 285). The Kerr-Mill act was not a success. In the year 1865, the Medicaid program was created.
The origin of the Medicaid program consists of two main parts; that is the federal government and the state government (ASPE, 2017). Upon the creation of the program, fifty or more percent of the funds were to come from the state while fifty or less percent of the funds were to come from the state. There was a problem however as different states were to decide the eligibility of their citizens who were to be part of the program.
Due to this, the level of care became somewhat biased as fewer people were eligible for this aid program in poor states which dedicated limited finances to the program. Despite these challenges, the program is still a success as it has expanded eligibility, increased its benefit to the benefactors and has led to several positive changes (Smith & Moore, 2005, p. 51). An example of increased eligibility was illustrated in the year 1972 when the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was created.

The SSI program expanded the Medicaid program to the aged, blind and disabled as eligible people (ASPE, 2017).
More than four decades later, the two key players still impact how benefactors receive medical services through Medicaid. The latest effort came through Obamacare which was aimed at unifying the qualification criteria for Medicaid in all states. The federal government was to fund the program 90%. This law would have increased significantly the number of people getting aid hence increasing the health status of the general population. However, some states went to oppose the bill in court which declared that the federal government could not force states to comply with the law. Roughly half of the states have fulfilled which translates to the fact that variation in states may determine the kind of care one gets.

References
ASPE. (2017, February 21). A Brief History of Medicaid. Retrieved from https://aspe.hhs.gov/report/using-medicaid-support-working-age-adults-serious-mental-illnesses-community-handbook/brief-history-medicaid
FINE, S. (1998). The Kerr-Mills Act: Medical Care for the Indigent in Michigan, 1960–1965. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 53(3), 285-316. doi:10.1093/jhmas/53.3.285
Medicaid. (2018). Medicaid | Medicaid.gov. Retrieved from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/index.html
Smith, D. G., & Moore, J. D. (2005). Legislating Medicaid: Considering Medicaid and Its Origins. HEALTH CARE FINANCING REVIEW, 27(2), 45-52. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Research/HealthCareFinancingReview/downloads/05-06Winpg45.pdf