Medicare

"Low medical fee schedules, relative to physicians' usual charges to other payers, are a major deterrent to participation." (Health Insurance Coverage of Children) Recent data suggests that the gap continues to widen between Medicaid and private rates. Virtually all hospitals participate in Medicaid. However, a Medicaid patient will more than likely be transferred to a public hospital for in-patient treatment. .
             It is merely impossible to try to obtain an actual number of people who receives Medicaid. If the picture was painted with a broad brush you could say that virtually every person in the United States is affected by Medicaid. For example any person who pays taxes is affected; any doctor who accepts Medicaid is directly affected by the low fee schedule that is put into place. Any person receiving public assistance is affected as well. The amount of people who are currently receiving Medicaid will be broken down: 6.2 million or 24.9 percent adults in families with dependent children, 10.4 million or 41.8 percent dependent children, 3.5 million or 14.1 percent aged, .4 million or 13.7 percent disabled or blind, 1.4 million or 5. 6 percent fall into the category of others. (Center Medicaid Service) The approximate total amount of people on Medicaid is 24.9 million. It's obvious that practically everyone is affected by this program. .
             Perhaps the greatest flaw in the Medicaid program is that it does not treat people in equal circumstances equally. Sociologist says that the inequitable distribution of Medicaid benefits is caused in part by the joint Federal - State nature of the program and its tie to the Welfare system. As stated previously the Medicaid eligibility is linked to the Welfare system. Therefore Medicaid is working within the complexity of the Welfare system, which, as we all can understand, is virtually impossible to work in conjunction with, due to its own inconsistencies. .
             Estimates indicate that at any given time from one third to as many as one half below the poverty level does not receive Medicaid benefits.