Under Health Reform, Medicaid Would Cover Many Childless Adults: lowest-income, big beneficiaries

[Emit]

Marilyn Matthews has no job, no health insurance, and until now, no chance of qualifying for Medicaid.

She’s unquestionably poor — her last regular paycheck was more than three years ago — and would meet the income criteria for Medicaid. The rub is that Matthews, 51, is a healthy adult with no children.

While Medicaid is the main government health insurance plan for the poor, the joint state-federal program has excluded Matthews and millions of other adults with no dependent children since the 1960s. Medicaid has been limited mainly to children in poor families, the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled. Some states have tried to fill the gap, but childless adults now comprise a majority of uninsured Americans.

The lowest-income members of the group would be among the big beneficiaries of the Democratic health insurance overhaul plans in Washington.

Senate legislation and President Obama’s new health proposal would expand eligibility to all with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or $14,404 for a single person. The House bill would set the mark at 150 percent or $16,245 for single people.

~snip~

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2010/march/08/childless-adults-health-reform.aspx?referrer=search

[virgogal]

1. Childless single adults get dumped on all the time. I was not aware of this

additional outrage.

[happy_liberal]

2. So if you qualify for medicaid- do you have to sign up for it under this plan?

because I don't want to buy private insurance and I will not sign up for medicaid if it means losing my home and assets.

"Over 10 years, Medicaid enrollment would grow by 15 million"

That would be 15 million people that must give up their home and assets to get insurance?

[madrchsod]

3. medicaid is a disaster...well close

under funded and poorly administrated. medicare is the system these people should be in.