Medicaid is State-Based…Should it be?


 

Medicaid is partially federally funded and partially state-funded. As we all know, not every State is equal in per capita income, and the number of poor and disabled is equally unbalanced. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid funding was expanded, yet some states opted out of accepting the additional funding. This, in some states, is heading to Medicaid cuts in benefits and eligibility, leading to a crisis in many families.

Since this is such an important program, especially to the poor and to our children, discuss whether this program should be state-based at all or entirely administered at the federal level? If your State opted out, what is the potential damage? If this be a Federally administered program, would there be less concern, and would more lives be covered? Is there a counterpoint to this? Should it remain currently administered? Back up your opinions with references and in-text citations to the course readings, lectures, or external articles.