Why Medicaid is important to you.

In my recents blogs I have talked about all the benefits of Medicare and Medicaid and why we need insurances like these, but few time has been spent on where all the money is coming from and how it is going to affect us in the future. Of course we know our tax dollars contributes to these insurance programs but what is going to happen when we start needing more and more money.

The Supreme Court affirmed the Afordable Care Act and Medicaid that followed with it. The ACA's intent is to give health care coverage to lower income American's.The problem that I feel the supreme court did was give states the option to opt out of the Medicaid expansion. With all that going on we will most likely see the republican states not continue with Medicaid. Their argument is that they wouldn't be able to afford it without having to raise taxes or make some cuts to higher education. Of course Liberal states will expand.

Regardless of what happens, here are a few reasons why Medicaid matters to every American. Always remember if you are a working American that funding for these programs comes from your paycheck. Medicaid is a growing entitlement program and is very expensive.  Like Medicare it contributes a large segment our a growing debt here in the United States.  We are facing a Fiscal Cliff because of runaway entitlement spending and leaders in Washington must act before the economy tanks.

Medicaid provides a critical safety net program to many older Americans and a significant amount of its spending goes to long term care.  Actually the bulk of the program goes to paying for long term care.  If you ever have had an older relative in a nursing home you will understand. Medicaid expansion being over-turned will have an impact on employers with low-income workers.  If these workers are not insured and now cannot receive coverage in Medicaid, this means they will qualify for a subsidy in a health insurance exchange. So, what these states need to remember is that without programs like Medicaid the businesses in their states might winde up paying more in the long run anyway.