Benefits of Childhood Medicaid: Medicaid Turns 50
Posted July 28, 2015 08:45 am | Public News Service
Read more about the benefits of Medicaid in the
Georgetown Study
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Medicaid turns 50 this week, and a new study shows it has dramatically decreased the percentage of uninsured children in the U.S. in recent years, going from 14 percent down to seven percent.
The
Georgetown Center for Children and Families examined
data on Americans who utilized Medicaid benefits as
children, and found they are much healthier as adults.
Participants tended to have lower blood pressure and
fewer hospitalizations.
Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, notes the studies also found participants are more likely to attend college and make more money as adults - and thus pay more in taxes.
"The value of these studies is to actually look at the
numbers," she says. "What all of these studies show is
that Medicaid is providing an incredibly valuable
service to kids, and that taxpayers are getting a great
return on their investment."
Medicaid serves about 3.5 million people in Florida -
and two million of them are children enrolled in Florida
KidCare. That program underwent a significant expansion
in 2014, when the Affordable Care Act raised the maximum
amount a family can make and still qualify for coverage.
Brian Kirk, project manager with the healthcare advocacy
group KidsWell Florida, says 41 percent of children in
the state rely on Florida KidCare.
"It's been critical just making sure children have
access to that primary care doctor, so their parents
aren't worried about whether or not to pay the medical
bills or fill up the refrigerator," he says.
The Georgetown study also found Medicaid eligibility for
children resulted in lower rates of smoking, drinking,
weight issues, risky sexual behavior and premature
death.
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