The ACA Times


  Show menu
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Get to Know the ACA
  • ACA – Frequently Asked Questions
  • Resources
  • Meet the Editors
  • Trusaic
  • Contact Us
  • Legal
  
  • Home
  • Affordable Care Act
  • Medicaid Receives Praise From Its Recipients

Articles

Medicaid Receives Praise From Its Recipients

July 27, 2017 Robert Sheen Affordable Care Act, Medicaid
Medicaid Receives Praise From Its Recipients

There’s a fallacy amongst some people that suggests Medicaid recipients are receiving less than stellar healthcare. That couldn’t be further from the truth according to a new study from Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health that shows that Medicaid recipients are very pleased with their coverage. The study is derived from research conducted on over 270,000 people enrolled in Medicaid in 2013. The study was published in the July 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association’s publication, JAMA Internal Medicine.

The data—provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services—showed that on a 10-point scale (10 being “the best”), almost 50% of recipients who participated gave the platform a 9. That’s almost a perfect score. Further, 84% of Medicaid recipients who were surveyed expressed that over the last six months, they had all of their medical needs satisfied thanks to Medicaid. In a world where hardly any government-facilitated programs receive rave reviews, these results are impressive. But what do they mean?

Well, for one, it would seem that people using Medicaid are clearly satisfied with it. In the wake of Congressional Republicans seeking to restructure Medicaid, and talking about reducing federal funding for the program as part of its efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s not surprising that many Americans have failed to endorse these approaches.

And why would they? The most recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) assessing the effects of the U.S. Senate’s updated Better Care Reconciliation Act found that while reducing Medicaid spending helped to reduce the federal budget deficit, a long-time Republican objective, it had other impacts. The CBO report stated that by 2026, Medicaid spending would be reduced by 26 percent. The report also stated: “About three-quarters of that reduction would result from scaling back the expansion of eligibility enacted in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In 2026, for people who are made newly eligible under the ACA (certain adults under the age of 65 whose income is less than or equal to 138 percent of the federal poverty level [FPL]), Medicaid spending would be reduced by 87 percent, from $134 billion to $17 billion—mainly because the penalty associated with the individual mandate would be repealed and the enhanced federal matching rate for spending on that group would be phased out. As a result of the reduced matching rate, some states would roll back their expansion of eligibility and others that would have expanded eligibility under current law would choose not to do so. All other federal spending on Medicaid in that year would be reduced by 9 percent, from $490 billion to $447 billion.”

CBO analysis of the original Better Care Reconciliation Act and the House of Representatives’ American Health Care Act were similar. They identified that these bills’ reduction in funding Medicaid would help to reduce the federal deficit, but also would result in fewer people being eligible for Medicaid. The CBO found that all of the Republican bills resulted in fewer people having health insurance coverage.

Based on the satisfaction ratings in the Harvard study, if you are now eligible for Medicaid, you probably aren’t anxious to support legislation that would make you ineligible for a program you like, a lot. The question remains as to why some members of Congress thought the American public would support reducing funding for a program that is currently teetering on a near-perfect rating. Maybe that’s why the latest Gallup poll in July found Americans’ approval of Congress at 20%. The Gallup poll found that 28% of Americans who identify as Republicans say they approve of the job Congress is doing compared to 12% of Americans who are Democrats. Nowhere near the high satisfaction ratings Medicaid users are giving Medicaid., Unlike Congress, it looks like Medicaid is getting the job done for the Americans it serves.

To view the study results, click here.


For any questions or a consultation on the ACA or IRS Letter 226J, contact Gregg Kasubuchi of Trusaic at (213) 355-5108 or at gkasubuchi@trusaic.com.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Summary
Medicaid Receives Praise From Its Recipients
Article Name
Medicaid Receives Praise From Its Recipients
Description
A new study finds that Medicaid recipients do in fact like their healthcare coverage. What does that say about Medicaid expansion? Read on.
Author
Robert Sheen
Publisher Name
The ACA Times
Publisher Logo
The ACA Times
Short URL of this page: https://acatimes.com/cwu
Robert Sheen

Robert Sheen

Esq., is Editor-in-Chief of The ACA Times. He also is founder, president and CEO of Trusaic.

Robert Sheen is Founder and President of Trusaic. Robert is a graduate of the University of Southern California, in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Finance. He earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, concentrating in Tax Law.

View more by Robert Sheen

Related tags to article

Affordable Care ActAmerican Health Care ActBetter Care Reconciliation ActCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)CongressCongressional Budget Office (CBO)Federal Poverty Level (FPL)Harvard's Chan School of Public HealthIndividual MandateJournal of the American Medical AssociationLegislationMedicaidPolls/SurveysRepublicans
Related Articles New York City Human Rights Law Could Impact Pay Equity Efforts New York City Human Rights Law Could Impact Pay Equity Efforts
Related Articles U.S. Baristas Share Salaries in Hopes for Higher Pay U.S. Baristas Share Salaries in Hopes for Higher Pay
Related Articles Megan Rapinoe WorldatWork Pay Equity Symposium Megan Rapinoe WorldatWork Pay Equity Symposium
Related Articles Administration Predicts Lower ACA Enrollment by Robert Sheen  •  
Related Articles IRS Eases Rules on Hardship Exemptions by Robert Sheen  •  
Related Articles HHS Awards $36 Million To Health Centers by Robert Sheen  •  

Popular Posts

  • Mark These 2020 Dates for ACA Reporting for 2019
  • IRS Issues Draft 2019 ACA Forms 1094-C and 1095-C and Reporting Instructions
  • The Look-Back Measurement Method Can Help Prevent ACA Penalties
  • IRS Issues Deadline Extension for Furnishing Forms 1095-C
  • ACA Affordability to Decrease for the 2020 Tax Year
  • Letter 972CG Late Penalty Assessments are Becoming More Difficult to Repeal
  • What to Expect from California’s Individual Mandate
  • ACA Filing Takeaways for The New Year

Trending Topics

  • Regulations
    (91)
  • Legislation
    (47)
  • Editorials
    (19)
  • ACA Compliance
    (110)
  • Tax Filings
    (19)
  • Applicable Large Employer (ALE)
    (13)
  • Penalties
    (18)
  • IRS
    (80)
  • Health Insurance Marketplace
    (28)
  • Polls/Surveys
    (18)
  • Health Care Reform
    (22)
  • Reporting
    (22)
  • IRS 226J/226-J
    (28)

Categories

Click me

Follow Us

Twitter Facebook

© 2019 Copyright Trusaic - All Rights reserved.

Close Window

Loading, Please Wait!

This may take a second or two. Loading, Please Wait!