Medicare essay
The purpose of the essay is to provide a brief history of Medicare in the United States of America and tell what the program is about. The one aim of the paper is to answer such questions: Who typically uses Medicare? What obstacles has the government faced with Medicare? Is Medicare used effectively to assist Americans? The aim of the essay is to be pragmatic and objective in order to make the information clear.
Firstly, the health insurance appeared during the President Teddy Roosevelt governing in 1912. However, the health plan of the nation got steam in days of the President Harry S. Truman (see Figure 1). However, 20 years passed and only then Medicare became a reality. During the governing of the President Kennedy was noted that more than 50 % of American citizens had not the health insurance (in the age over 65). Only when President Lyndon B Johnson signed legislation in 1965, citizens of USA started receiving the health coverage of the Medicare. President Richard M. Nixon brought the main change in the la in 1972 – people under 65 years old having ERSD or long-term disabilities were included. In 1980s home health services and hospice services appeared. In 2010 was identified that more than 42 million people are going to receive health coverage of the program of a Medicare in the amount of $450 billion.
Strictly talking, Medicare is defined as the federal program of the health insurance that gives the opportunity to get health coverage for citizens of USA in the age from 65 and older or younger in the case of having permanent disabilities and renal disease (on the end stage), and ALS. There are four different parts of Medicare: Medicare Resource Center (2011) Part A is funded primarily by payroll taxes, which end up in the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. Part B revenue comes from general revenues and the premiums paid by Medicare beneficiaries. Part C (common to Part B), Part D prescription drug plan is funded by general revenues, premiums and state payments.
There is a list of those who typically uses Medicare:
- who qualify for or receive benefits of railroad retirement;
- who is 65, receives Social Security benefits, is a S.A. citizen for 5 continuous years;
- who is older than 65, having ALS or ERSD;
- who receives Social Security benefits for at least 2 years prior to his or her 65th
According to Booske (2005) the ailing Medicare system would be further weakened by government efforts to restructure it. Although the program was critical to Medicare-eligible Americans, it could not continue without dramatic restructuring. The problems of Medicare are that it faces insolvency, Medicare needs fixing, it covers about 50% of the expenses on medicals.
Medicare is useful for American citizens, however, not in full volume, because the system of Medicare has its failures to complete. Further still, such program is necessary for people to guarantee comfortable being and get health coverage. The government should help old people and people with long – term diseases with expenses on medicals and treatment creating and improving such programs. In conclusion, I must mention that there are many failures in the Medicare system that must be completed in order to guarantee comfortable treatment and to decrease medical expenses.
