Medicaid is a government program that started in the sixties. The program helps poverty level pregnant women and children, disabled adults that are unable to work and elderly people that have work and paid into the system but are now living at the poverty level in there state. The national eligibility is based on the person's income at the time they apply for the service. They need to be at or below the poverty level, but all states levels are different based on the cost of living in the state, county and city were the person resides. For example the state of Florida's requirements are as follows:
             3. single person assets at or lower then 2000 dollar
             4. married couples assets at or lower then 4000 dollars
             5. children are covered if the parent makes at or less then 2000 dollar
             The way the system pays the facilities that the people go to is like a HMO. Were there are codes for a procedure or condition the adults or children may have. The code that is chosen is then related to a dollar amount that is paid to the hospital and/or nursing home and the government calls these codes DRG (diagnoses related groups). This system is a good one in principal but I think the Medicaid reimbursements for nursing homes are to low to pay for everything needed to care for the patient.
             The reason for my above statement is that many nursing homes in the U.S. and Florida have gone bankrupt due to the low reimbursement from Medicaid to pay for all the cost of patient care. In nursing homes Medicaid makes up about 50 percent of all the money that comes in the facility. The other 50 percent comes from Medicare and private insurance.
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