Medicaid Expansion
Editor's note: This blog is written by Miguel
A. Bustillos, department chair and professor at California University of
Management & Sciences in Virginia.
Most of
us have heard about the Medicaid expansion and how states like Florida, Texas
and Virginia are against it. Some do not understand why the Medicaid expansion
has become such a big issue or what exactly the Medicaid expansion is.
The
Medicaid expansion, expected to be fully implemented by 2014, is a plan under the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to expand medical coverage
for a number of people who do not qualify under the current plan. The Medicaid expansion
mandates that a state must meet PPACA standards to receive full federal funding,
which is needed to increase the current plan. The largest problem involving the
mandate is how states will cover the "new eligibles," those patients who are
receiving Medicaid assistance for the first time. It is estimated that 15.9
million new enrollees will participate in the plan by 2019.
The
federal government currently pays, on average, about 57% of the total cost of
Medicaid enrollees in each state. Of those that qualify for Medicaid, only 62%
have signed up for Medicaid benefits, leaving the remaining 38% without benefits.
Generally, those that are not taking the benefit either don't know that they
qualify or refused the benefit.
If states
were to accept the Medicaid expansion, they would continue to pay for the
benefits of the 62% that are currently covered; in addition, they will have to
cover the 38% that qualified under the previous requirement, but did not take
the benefit. According to the new mandate, states must also provide for the new
eligibles.
Under
the Medicaid expansion mandate, the federal government will continue to pay the
cost for about 57% of the 62% that are currently taking the benefit. With the
new law, the 38% that did not receive benefits will now either take the benefit
or pay a tax penalty. Some states believe that those who are qualified will
take the benefit rather than pay the penalty. Despite the "new enrollee" status
of those patients, the government will not support funding for any persons who
previously qualified but did not receive benefits.
With
regards to the true new eligible, the states believe that the cost of providing
Medicaid is just too large for any state to handle. To lessen the burden, the federal government has
penned an agreement to cover 93% of the cost of the true "new enrollees" till
the year 2020.
Many states
will decline to take on the Medicaid expansion because it's a voluntary program.
The new law can be very taxing to any state's budget and in most cases, there
are not enough incentives for states to adapt the program.
The
federal government is, however, not worried. When Medicaid was first signed
into law in 1965, only six states agreed to participate. But by 1982, every
state had joined. As 2014 comes along, and the law comes into full effect, it
will be interesting to see what develops and what does not. With the cost of
providing healthcare to so many people being so high, and the fact that
Medicare benefits will be cut to fund the Medicaid expansion, I foresee much
resistance on its implementation.