Medicaid is a government program that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. In Maryland, one population eligible to receive Medicaid benefits is low-income families with children. This includes, families with children under 19 years old, pregnant women and Parents with dependent children under 21 years old. They are eligible because Medicaid aims to provide health coverage to vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals and families.
Eligibility may vary depending on family size, income, and other factors. Maryland Health Choice/Medicaid provides comprehensive health coverage, including doctor visits, hospital care, prescription medications, and more, to ensure that eligible individuals and families receive necessary healthcare services. It covers children under 19 years old with family income up to 211% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), pregnant women with family income up to 250% of FPL and parents with dependent children under 21 years old with family income up to 138% of FPL.
I recommend changing the Medicaid policy in Maryland to expand coverage to include dental care for adults, specifically targeting low-income families with children. Currently, Maryland Medicaid covers dental care for children under 21, but adult dental coverage is limited to emergency services only. This leaves many low-income parents without access to essential dental care, leading to untreated conditions, pain, and potential systemic health issues. By including comprehensive dental care for adults, it will improve overall oral health, reduce health care cost and by expanding dental coverage promotes health equity by addressing the disproportionate oral health disparities faced by low-income populations.
Chapter 12, “Healthcare and Disabilities”
Note: Read the “Financing Quality Healthcare.Links to an external site.” section only.
https://www.medicaid.gov/about-us/where-can-people-get-help-medicaid-chip/index.html#statemenu
second one
Identify a population that is eligible to receive Medicaid benefits and describe why they are eligible.
Medicaid is a government-funded healthcare program that provides health coverage to individuals and families in need. This program offers medical assistance to various groups of people including children, parents, pregnant women, elderly individuals with specific income levels, and those with disabilities. For this assignment, I have decided to focus on the population of pregnant women who can benefit from Medicaid.
Explain your state’s eligibility requirements for this population.
Pregnant women might be able to get free health coverage during their pregnancy through Medicaid for Pregnant Women or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Perinatal program. Medicaid and CHIP Perinatal are healthcare programs designed to provide coverage to low-income pregnant women in Texas. Medicaid offers health coverage during pregnancy and up to twelve months after postpartum, while CHIP Perinatal provides limited coverage during pregnancy and only two postpartum visits within 60 days of the end of the pregnancy for women who don’t qualify for Medicaid and don’t have health insurance. To be eligible for either of these programs, the client must be a resident of Texas and a U.S. citizen or a qualified non-citizen. If the client already has health insurance, they won’t be eligible for CHIP Perinatal. During the application process, the client’s monthly income and her family’s income will be assessed to determine eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP Perinatal.
Recommend and defend one change to the Medicaid policy in your state that would benefit the population that you identified.
The policy recommendation I propose is a change to its eligibility criteria. Specifically, I propose to broaden the parameters beyond USA residency or citizenship. The rationale behind this change is to provide the option of Medicaid to undocumented individuals, which would address the medical issues faced by undocumented minorities. These groups experience some of the highest rates of medical-related deaths, often due to untreated diseases and other health concerns. Thus, the proposed change seeks to reduce these negative outcomes by expanding access to healthcare services among vulnerable populations.
References:
Cullen, M., & Cullen, M. (2021). Social work & social welfare: Modern practice in a diverse world (2nd ed.). https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/82483/overview
Chapter 2, “History of Social Work and Social Welfare”
Note: Read the “LBJ and the War on PovertyLinks to an external site.” section only.
Chapter 12, “Healthcare and Disabilities”
Note: Read the “Financing Quality HealthcareLinks to an external site.” section only.
