Medicaid cuts can be devastating for most low-income earners over the age of 65. This joint federal state program is under the microscope as Congress discusses how to offset the 2025 budget and tax cuts. If the budget passes, it will need to offset the $880 billion reduction. Medicaid main targets.
Many of the proposed budget cuts could cut or eliminate funding for services such as home care, transportation to medical appointments, and medication support, which will have a major impact on the ability of many seniors to age at home. Journalists need to closely follow this story so they can prepare to cover the regional and national impacts of these reductions on specific beneficiaries, programs, and services.
To inform you of reports on this topic, here are some quick facts about Medicaid that are unique to older adults.
- There are almost 13 million people Qualified for Medicare and Medicaid (Dual Qualifications) Includes people under the age of 65 who are eligible based on complaints or medical conditions. The approximately 7 million dual qualifications are over 65 years old. The rest will be received Full or partial Medicare and Medicaid coverage by disability and income level.
- Medicaid is based on income and needs. Programs and services vary by state, but you need to identify everything Essential benefits:
- Inpatient and outpatient hospital services.
- Doctor services.
- X-rays and diagnostic tests.
- Home care (skilled care).
- Nursing home care.
- Transportation to medical appointments.
What Medicaid covers
The programme will be provided Scope of other important services for seniors, including
- Medicare Premium Support.
- Pay Medicare out-of-pocket expenses and deductions.
- Home and community-based care, including home care aides and personal care assistants.
- Optional perks not covered by Medicare:
- Dentistry, vision and hearing services.
- Prescription drugs.
- Body, occupation, speech therapy.
- Podiatrics services.
- Case management.
- Respiratory care services.
- Other diagnostic, screening, prevention and rehabilitation services.
- Mental health care.
Long-term service and support
- Medicaid pays 5-8 or more seniors in nursing homes.
- Medicaid funds programs and services that help older people age at home rather than institutions. Medicare doesn’t pay for long-term care, regardless of location.
- Medicaid paid Over half Of the $415 billion the US spent on long-term service and support in 2022, the category includes nursing home services and home and community-based services.
- Family caregivers often rely on Medicaid for health insurance Many people have to give up on their jobs or cut back on several hours to care for their loved ones, and are not eligible for employer-sponsored healthcare.
- The total number of LTSS users receiving home and community-based services, and in 2021, the share of total LTSS users supporting dedicated spending to HCBS, which reached its all-time high in 2021, reached its highest ever high in 2021, as it focused on serving more people in home and community-based environments and reducing the use of institutional services. Mac ScorecardCMS dashboards drawn from over 30 datasets derived from state and federal reporting efforts.
“If states do not offset federal Medicaid cuts by acquiring new costs, they can reduce Medicaid spending by covering fewer people, providing less profits, or reducing provider payments.” New KFF analysis Found.
Options for establishing a cut Medicaid includes:
- Block grants or per cap – The state receives a fixed Medicaid amount per subscriber, regardless of cost or inflation. The state has to take up differences, which cuts down services and programs.
- Federal games reduction (Federal Medical Assistance Rate or FMAP). Currently, all states receive a minimum of 50% on federal matching funds. Many states can receive 90% of FMAP during Medicaid expansion, providing more programs and services to seniors and providing compensation to unpaid family caregivers. Lifting the minimum 50% cap will shift more costs into states and enforce an overall cut in Medicaid spending. Ending 90% FMAP, which has been enhanced for Medicaid expansion, automatically ends expansion in some states, and other states will reduce the Medicaid programs and services that older people rely on.
- Limit taxes for acceptable providers and insurance companiesall states use it to fund all of their Medicaid programs, thus cutting state budgets and enforcing Medicaid cuts.
- Reduction provider payment rate This results in fewer providers accepting Medicaid, less access to care for seniors, worsening shortages in the direct care workforce, and potentially closures of nursing homes.
