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In the process of doing some online research for potential new providers when my PCP retired a couple of years ago, I discovered many sole practitioners had the following statement under the accepted insurance tab: "We do not accept Medicaid". Even some group practices had this disclaimer, as well. MediCARE not really a problem, other than the occasional "Not accepting NEW Medicare patients". Even Medicare Advantage was more widely accepted than Medicaid.
I would hate to have to rely on Medicaid coverage, but I suppose it's better than having no coverage at all.
Could be why most medicaid people just go to the emergency room...maybe they can't find doctors ?
It's great in NJ, I had the same coverage when I was out of work during Covid that I had before. In fact my policy number didn't even change. And I paid zero premium for it, vs $700 a month I was paying when I was working.
So if zero premium, someone else is paying for it - essentially on assistance.
Could be why most medicaid people just go to the emergency room...maybe they can't find doctors ?
No, people who go to the ER for non-emergent reasons are people with no insurance at all. There are plenty of places that take care of Medicaid population, including teaching hospitals affiliated with med schools. There are community hospitals and physician practices in some economically depressed parts of the country where Medicaid is almost the only kind of insurance that the hospital or physician group ever sees - if they didn't take Medicaid, they would have no patients at all.
You are right about expansion of Medicaid. Over 82.3 million people in the US are on Medicaid (almost 1 out of 5). About 33% of Medicaid covers people of working age after Medicaid expanded from 100% to 138% federal poverty level, as opposed to 14% when it was covering only 100% fpl and below. About half of Medicaid recipients are children and 42% pregnancies/births in the US are covered by Medicaid. Only 10% of Medicaid goes on covering disabled people and destitute seniors. People on Medicaid do not pay anything for health insurance.
But without Medicaid, people who now use Medicaid would have no insurance, would be just showing at ERs for free non-emergent care, and you'd be still paying for them in some way, and would be paying more than to support Medicaid (since managing non-emergencies through ERs is very expensive, plus overwhelms the ERs, obstructing the actual emergent care for which ERs are designed).
Actually that's not accurate. There are spend downs in all States which mean you can pay for health insurance to spend down to medicaid level of 1385 of the federal poverty level. Your health insurance is billed first, then medicaid picks up the remaining balance.
Yes, there are more kids on Medicaid but more money is spent on nursing home bills for fewer people.
Paying for kids on Medicaid is money well spent for a future healthy population.
Somehow I doubt kids growing up on Medicaid are the future healthy population. Such a high number of kids on Medicaid (ie, over 40 million) is an indicator of the fact that many people aren't capable of supporting and raising kids but are nevertheless having kids.
Actually that's not accurate. There are spend downs in all States which mean you can pay for health insurance to spend down to medicaid level of 1385 of the federal poverty level. Your health insurance is billed first, then medicaid picks up the remaining balance.
Federal poverty level refers to annual income, not to spending anything down. Not sure what you are talking about.
Could be why most medicaid people just go to the emergency room...maybe they can't find doctors ?
It depends on the state. My brother was on Medicaid from ages 62 until he turned 65. He loved it, he said he got great care. He was upset when he had to enroll in Medicare at 65. States determine themselves who to cover, how much to cover, how to deliver care, and how much providers are reimbursed. I would imagine it's better in blue states than red.
To that other poster, illegal immigrants do not qualify for Medicaid, period.
So if zero premium, someone else is paying for it - essentially on assistance.
Yes, taxpayers. Of which I have been one for 42 years.
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