Because of financial troubles, American families living on low income face insecurity when it comes to increasingly expensive healthcare coverage. Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP and the Affordable Care Act are aimed at helping families who are unable to obtain health insurance through employers (a threat Cyrus and Tom face) or in the private market. Many of these people find their health at the mercy of the socio-economic gap that affects their lives; these healthcare policies help to reduce the effects of these socio-economic gaps.
Medicare
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that pays for hospital and medical care for elderly and certain Americans with disabilities. The programme mainly helps to pay for hospital stays, including meals, supplies, testing, and a semi-private room and medically necessary physician visits, outpatient hospital visits, home health care costs, and other services for the aged and disabled (e.g. renal dialysis).
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that pays for hospital and medical care for elderly and certain Americans with disabilities. The programme mainly helps to pay for hospital stays, including meals, supplies, testing, and a semi-private room and medically necessary physician visits, outpatient hospital visits, home health care costs, and other services for the aged and disabled (e.g. renal dialysis).
Medicaid
Medicaid is a federal state social health care program targeted at families and individuals with low income and resources. It is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services and is funded by the state and federal governments with the latter paying 57% of the total cost.
Jace, Candice and Daya, for example, would benefit from the coverage provided by Medicaid. For Jace and Daya, their low income status means that should they lose their jobs, as Candice did, they would be uncovered by health insurance and therefore unable to pay for the rising costs of US healthcare. For Candice, however, Medicaid in her state might not cover her for transition-related care that she needs to stay safe and healthy, and therefore is not completely foolproof.
However, not everyone who needs it is covered as each individual state in the United States can expand the eligibility if they decide to, making it harder for applicants to qualify. The states that did were concerned about long-term costs and thus refused to expand the program.
Medicaid is a federal state social health care program targeted at families and individuals with low income and resources. It is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services and is funded by the state and federal governments with the latter paying 57% of the total cost.
Jace, Candice and Daya, for example, would benefit from the coverage provided by Medicaid. For Jace and Daya, their low income status means that should they lose their jobs, as Candice did, they would be uncovered by health insurance and therefore unable to pay for the rising costs of US healthcare. For Candice, however, Medicaid in her state might not cover her for transition-related care that she needs to stay safe and healthy, and therefore is not completely foolproof.
However, not everyone who needs it is covered as each individual state in the United States can expand the eligibility if they decide to, making it harder for applicants to qualify. The states that did were concerned about long-term costs and thus refused to expand the program.
SCHIP
Created in 1997, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded health insurance coverage for children in the U.S. since Medicaid began in the 1960s. Covering low-income children and their parents who are ineligible for Medicaid, it involved both the federal and state government where both governments help administer and finance this programme. Daya's family is one that would benefit from this programme, as her children would be covered by health insurance if their state finds them eligible.
Created in 1997, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded health insurance coverage for children in the U.S. since Medicaid began in the 1960s. Covering low-income children and their parents who are ineligible for Medicaid, it involved both the federal and state government where both governments help administer and finance this programme. Daya's family is one that would benefit from this programme, as her children would be covered by health insurance if their state finds them eligible.
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act, known mostly as Obamacare, provides Americans with better health security by putting in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will expand coverage, hold insurance companies liable, lower healthcare costs, guarantee more choice, and enhance the quality of care for all Americans. For example, under this act, Jace would be covered by his parents' health plan until he is 26 years old.
The Affordable Care Act, known mostly as Obamacare, provides Americans with better health security by putting in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will expand coverage, hold insurance companies liable, lower healthcare costs, guarantee more choice, and enhance the quality of care for all Americans. For example, under this act, Jace would be covered by his parents' health plan until he is 26 years old.
Nutrition
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP
Formerly known as food stamps, this federally funded programme aims to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by permitting low-income households to obtain a more nutritious diet. Assisting in strengthening international food security aid programs for starving people abroad, it helps to respond to low food security in times of economic downturn. Not only does it provide low income households with electronic debit cards that can be used at most grocery stores and some farmers markets, it also provides a monthly benefit amount to eligible low-income families that can be used to purchase food. This ensures a healthy and nutritious diet for low income families. SNAP lifted 4.7 million people out of poverty in 2011, including about 2.1 million children. SNAP also lifted 1.5 million children out of deep poverty (50% of the poverty line) in 2011, more than any other government assistance program.
People who live in poverty and extreme poverty as a result of the socio-economic gaps experience some form of low food security, both in terms of being able to get food in the first place, as well as being able to get a variety of healthy food. Through SNAP, families like Daya's and people like Jace and Candice will find themselves with lessened worries when it comes to staying alive on low incomes.
However, SNAP is now at risk in budget negotiations. As part of the proposed House FY 2014 budget, SNAP funding would be cut by $135 billion over the next ten years. This could potentially mean millions of people would be forced out of the program and there could also be a significant reduction in benefits.
Formerly known as food stamps, this federally funded programme aims to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by permitting low-income households to obtain a more nutritious diet. Assisting in strengthening international food security aid programs for starving people abroad, it helps to respond to low food security in times of economic downturn. Not only does it provide low income households with electronic debit cards that can be used at most grocery stores and some farmers markets, it also provides a monthly benefit amount to eligible low-income families that can be used to purchase food. This ensures a healthy and nutritious diet for low income families. SNAP lifted 4.7 million people out of poverty in 2011, including about 2.1 million children. SNAP also lifted 1.5 million children out of deep poverty (50% of the poverty line) in 2011, more than any other government assistance program.
People who live in poverty and extreme poverty as a result of the socio-economic gaps experience some form of low food security, both in terms of being able to get food in the first place, as well as being able to get a variety of healthy food. Through SNAP, families like Daya's and people like Jace and Candice will find themselves with lessened worries when it comes to staying alive on low incomes.
However, SNAP is now at risk in budget negotiations. As part of the proposed House FY 2014 budget, SNAP funding would be cut by $135 billion over the next ten years. This could potentially mean millions of people would be forced out of the program and there could also be a significant reduction in benefits.
Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition Programme
The WIC Nutrition Programme is a Federal grant program for which Congress authorizes a specific amount of funds each year. It aims to help low-income and nutritionally at risk pregnant women (through pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after birth or after pregnancy ends), breastfeeding women (up to infant’s 1st birthday), non-breastfeeding postpartum women (up to 6 months after the birth of an infant or after pregnancy ends), infants (up to 1st birthday) as well as nutritionally at risk children up to their fifth birthday.
The WIC Nutrition Programme is a Federal grant program for which Congress authorizes a specific amount of funds each year. It aims to help low-income and nutritionally at risk pregnant women (through pregnancy and up to 6 weeks after birth or after pregnancy ends), breastfeeding women (up to infant’s 1st birthday), non-breastfeeding postpartum women (up to 6 months after the birth of an infant or after pregnancy ends), infants (up to 1st birthday) as well as nutritionally at risk children up to their fifth birthday.