Honors History Blog #1

Medicaid is the most significant element of health care legislation in American history because of its positive effect on the less fortunate of society. Medicaid is a government run program that was created in 1965; its purpose is to “provide essential medical and medically related services to the most vulnerable populations in society”. This has led me to think that Medicaid is one of the most significant elements of health care legislation, in American history. Medicaid has helped many different individuals that are suffering and not able to pay for their own treatments. And although this program is very important and is helping millions of people the government, because of the recession America is in, is planning on making a “21 percent scheduled cut in Medicare payments.” This is affecting people everywhere and is causing them to worry that there may be the possibility of not getting their treatments or surgeries. Tiffany Tate is one of those people; Tate is a twenty seven year old who was born with cystic fibrosis. In April Tiffany had gotten a letter confirming that she would be getting a double lung transplant, she was ecstatic. ”Four months later she got a different letter. Tate reads from it, ‘You cannot get this service because state law eliminated this type of transplant.’ ” She was now scared because she knew that if she didn’t get this transplant she would die. But as it turns out “as of October, Arizona's version of Medicaid no longer pays for certain organ transplants for low income patients. They cost more than $200,000 and the state says too often they aren't successful. The cuts will save Arizona $1.4 million, one-tenth of one percent of its $825 million budget deficit.” Tiffany Tate is still trying to get her transplant. This is just one example of why Medicaid is one of the most significant elements of health care legislation in American history. If it were not available many people would lose their lives or go bankrupt from trying to pay the costs of their bills to fight for their lives. Medicaid has helped those people for forty five years and is one of the more respected and important government run programs, this is why I chose it as one of the most significant elements of health care legislation, and overall in American history.

Websites Used:
http://www.policyalmanac.org/health/medicaid.shtml

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/April/06/Medicaid-Expansion-And-Payment-Increase-Causes-Mixed-Feelings-For-MDs.aspx

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/07/eveningnews/main7127730.shtml?tag=mncol;lst;1