Medicaid Coverage

Medicaid is a health care program for Americans who are poor. Each state has its own program so you have to research your specific location to find out how to get it. Medicaid is also for people with disabilities, and is funded both by the federal government and by each state itself, which is why all the programs are different.

General Medicaid Coverage

In general, the federal government mandates that each state program must include certain very general things. Within that, the states can decide themselves what to cover and what to not cover. Some states have very generous policies while others don’t. Mandatory coverage is inpatient and outpatient hospital care, doctor visits, lab tests, x-rays and home health services. They even include a lot of services for pregnant women including midwives, birthing centers, and tobacco cessation for pregnant people. This coverage is important for many people who wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford health care.

Optional types of coverage are prescription drugs, dental services and physical therapy. This category also includes prosthetics, chiropractors, respiratory care, and a few other things that you would probably want to have covered, but it just depends on your state. Keep in mind that the optional coverage categories are under the control of the state. If your Medicaid plan doesn’t pay for it, you would get to pay for it out of pocket, which is an impossibility for most people on Medicaid.

States With Great Medicaid Coverage

If you rank the states on their Medicaid coverage based on how much they spend on their program, you would find that California is #1. They spend the most on Medicaid out of any other state, and it makes sense because the state also has the largest population with about 40 million people. They put about $80 billion dollars towards their program known as MediCal. The program does have some optional coverage like dental and vision coverage for kids, and some dental and vision coverage for adults as well.

The number 2 & 3 state also has the 2nd and 3rd most people in them. New York and Texas hold these spots with robust Medicaid programs that show the state isn’t afraid to spend on their resident’s well being!

States With Poor Medicaid Coverage

As of 2018, 19 states have chosen not to expand their Medicaid programs to cover people who fall into the coverage gap. They make too much for Medicaid but aren’t eligible for subsidies to pay for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act either. 29% of those that fall into this gap reside in Texas, showing that the total amount of spending on Medicaid isn’t necessarily an indicator of a fully healthy program. 17% live in Florida and 11% live in Georgia. Most of the states that have not expanded Medicaid are in the south, which is why 89% of people in the coverage gap live in the south.

In Conclusion

It’s a bit sad but true that where you live could greatly influence what type of healthcare coverage you might have if you need to be on Medicaid, but keep reading here to find out the latest updates to this medical care program.