In your opinion, is increasing the maximum income limit to qualify for medicaid beneficial?

[ZombieHorde]

Poll question: In your opinion, is increasing the maximum income limit to qualify for medicaid beneficial?

[Xipe Totec]

1. What is the maximum income limit?

Let's talk specifics.

[ZombieHorde]

2. The maximum income limit depends on the State in which you live.

Here is a link which discusses medicaid eligibility.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaideligibility/

[Xipe Totec]

6. Isn't Medicaid more of a loan than a grant?

I've heard that any money given to you in Medicaid would have to be repaid if, for any reason, you end up climbing out of poverty and earning some money again.

If that is the case, I would rather have Medicare benefits improved.

[Traveling_Home]

7. You are right. ntt

[ZombieHorde]

9. I do believe that is the case, but you still get health care when you need it.

Getting the loan, and therefor health care, is more beneficial than not getting the loan, and therefor not getting the health care. At least in my view.

[ipaint]

3. Will help some but totally inadequate. Try finding a doctor.

What has received less attention is the potential impact of the major Medicaid expansion proposed in the House and Senate reform bills. By requiring states to cover everyone (not just children and mothers) in households earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level, it is estimated, the legislation would add about 15 million new people to the Medicaid rolls. That doesn’t even begin to equal the need: two-thirds of the uninsured are poor or near-poor, and the House and Senate bills would leave 18 million and 24 million people, respectively, without coverage by 2019. But even if we raise the number of people on Medicaid from 35 million to 50 million, will there be enough physicians willing to see them?

By one estimate, state Medicaid programs pay, on average, only 60 percent as much as private insurance does. As a result, many physicians will not see Medicaid patients. A recent study found that 28 percent of physicians don’t accept Medicaid patients, and 19 percent accept some. Only 40 percent will take anybody on Medicaid.

Primary-care physicians have an even more dismal track record. Forty percent of general internists, 35 percent of family physicians and GPs, 18 percent of pediatricians, and 28 percent of ob/gyns do not accept any Medicaid patients. Thirty-one percent of internists and FP/GPs take all Medicaid patients, 42 percent of pediatricians do, and 34 percent of ob/gyns do.

http://m.industry.bnet.com/healthcare/10001447/medicaid-expansion-may-fail-because-of-doctors-refusal-to-see-patients/

People with little income do not have the resources to drive all over their state trying to find a doctor much less a specialist. Add 15-20 million more recipients and it borders on becoming a dumping ground.

[ZombieHorde]

5. So the increase would have to come with some incentive for doctors to accept medicaid patients?

My wife just got on medicaid (pregnant) and we had no problems finding a doctor, but this could just be our town.

[ipaint]

10. As you can tell by the overall statistics your experience is only a partial picture.

Match medicare reimbursement rates (80%) across the board.

[ipaint]

11. Better yet, what's good enough for the poor is good enough for everyone.

Medicaid for all then we can all understand just what needs to be done to improve the program. When the millionaires in congress begin to use it things will change, more than likely on a dime.

[Hello_Kitty]

8. It's totally unfair too.

We were promised health "reform" that was going to provide universal access to quality health care to all Americans. But not the poor. They get substandard care. I see a lot of people on DU living hand to mouth who seem to think that passing this bill means they'll get lovely fully-subsidized private insurance and get to go to nice clinics. Uh, no, they'll be getting Medicaid which is better than nothing but not much in many areas.

[FreakinDJ]

4. California - $34,324

near poverty levels

[clear eye]

12. Your poll misses the point.

It is helpful if the final law includes the House provision of raising Medicaid payment rates to match Medicare. If not, Medicaid is mostly dysfunctional, w/ people unable to find doctors in most places.