In a landmark study, published during 2009 in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers estimated that annually 45,000 Americans die unnecessarily due to lack of adequate healthcare. Since that time, under the affordable care act (ACA), tens of millions of people were able to get healthcare using Medicaid.
Many who live at, or below, the poverty level were able to enroll in Medicaid for the first time under the new ACA guidelines. While it is not possible to know the exact number, experts estimate that these unnecessary deaths have been reduced by up to half because of the Affordable Care Act.
Medicaid provides care for the elderly
One of the largest healthcare programs in America is Medicaid. Over 65 percent of elderly seniors rely on Medicaid for healthcare expenses, especially those in senior care facilities or nursing homes. Once an elderly person’s financial resources are completely exhausted, they qualify for Medicaid. Some have no other means of support and lack family members or friends capable of taking care of them. Without Medicaid support, they would be cast out to live homeless in the streets.
Why would any American want to harm our precious and vulnerable elderly? The Washington Examiner reports that Democrats strongly oppose the budget cuts in healthcare and especially in Medicaid for all the harm it will do and the deaths it will cause.
Medicaid helps people with disabilities
People who need some personal assistance to stay in their homes or apartments benefit greatly from programs supported by Medicaid. It is vastly better to be able to live in an independent way instead of being confined to a healthcare facility. Not only is the lifestyle for the disabled person more pleasant, the healthcare costs are significantly less when they have home support paid by Medicaid.
Medicaid helps children and mothers
Medicaid provides financial support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) helping millions of children with checkups, vaccinations, and dental care. The Republican-dominated Congress recently failed to renew funding for the CHIP program. The Intercept says that this will take health care away from many millions of children.
In eight states, over 60 percent of the births are paid for by Medicaid.
Summary
It is unconscionable to reduce Medicaid funding that supports critical healthcare programs. This will cause the unnecessary deaths of up to 20,000 people per year or more. These deaths will be our most vulnerable Americans including disabled people, the elderly, and children. What Congress needs to do instead is to take the profit motive out of the American healthcare system and pass legislation that creates a steep reduction in the outrageous costs for pharmaceuticals and medical procedures.
