"Explain the differences between Medicaid and Medicare" should be a mandatory question for every candidate for federal office and at every confirmation hearing of anyone whose work will touch on either program.
but it shouldn’t be ignored that medicaid cuts could impact the seniors on medicare as medicaid covers a lot of the cost of seniors in care facilities and if those payments are cut or cease those seniors will be returned to their families or with nowhere to go
I explained it one of my fellow Meals on Wheels volunteers: Medicare is for seniors, who vote like crazy. Medicaid is for poor people and the disabled, who often don't. Medi-CARE is for the people politicians CARE about, Medi-CAID is for people who need AID.
Sure, it's more detailed than that but if someone needs a mnemonic to keep the two programs straight in their head I figure start with a broad distinction and we can dive into the details as needed.
For Example: My 90 yr. old MIL receives around $500 a month SS based on half of her husband's. She never work enough for her own benefit. She gets Medicaid which overrides Medicare allowing her to have no healthcare expenses. The Medicare premium is not deducted from her $500.
my doctor was trying to find me a dermatologist who accepted my specific form of Medicaid and said “oh well I see they take MediCARE, so it should be fine.” I had to break it that no, IME that has basically zero correlation whatsoever with them taking Medicaid??
Comments
But also, we have to let people know that many people on Medicare have to use Medicaid for end-of-life care. About 12 million people are on both
https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/61746/410409-Medicaid-and-End-of-Life-Care.PDF
Medicare v. Medicaid Eligibility
Sigh.