Health Care Support Services Paper: Medicare

Health Care Support Services Paper: Medicare

Good health is important to everyone and many people are trying to find ways to maintain good health. There is a lot of people in the United States who do not have any type of health care coverage or insurance to go to the doctor to check him or herself out or to cure any current sicknesses and medical issues he or she may have. Low-income elderly people are the ones who are more likely to experience many health problems that require medical services as well as those elderly people that are living on a fixed income than those who are better off with very good income. Many of the elderly are living on a limited income and faces unexpected medical expenses that he or she cannot afford to pay for because of their income. When the elderly get sick and medical care is needed, they depend on Medicare for assistance with their medical bills because they do not have any other way to pay for their medical bills or go see a doctor. "Medicare is for people 65 or older, those who are under age 65 with certain disabilities and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease" (Medicare, para.).

"Medicare is a federally funded system of health and hospital insurance for persons aged 65 and older and for disable persons. The Medicare program provides basic health care benefits to recipients of Social Security and is funded through the Social Security trust fund. President Harry S. Truman first proposed a medical care program for the aged during the late 1940s, but Medicare was not enacted until 1965, as one of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs. Medicare went into effect in 1966 and was first administered by the Social Security Administration. In 1977, the Medicare program was transferred to the newly created Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). The HCFA is concerned with the development of policies, programs, procedures, and guidance regarding Medicare recipients, the providers of services, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians, and other organizations that are closely related to the Medicare program. The Medicare program is extremely important to the low-income elderly people mainly because their health is poorer than those who are elderly but have higher income. The elderly that have low-income cannot go to the doctor and receive the medical services that he or she needs as often because they do not have the funds to go, and they may not be able to take the proper measures to keep themselves healthy when it comes to getting medication he or she may need"( Phelps & Lehman, 2005).

"Unlike other federal programs, Medicare is not supported by a large, federal organizational hierarchy. The federal government enters into contracts with private insurance companies for the processing of Medicare claims. Health care providers must meet state and local licensing laws and standards set by the HCFA in order to qualify for Medicare payments for their services"( Phelps & Lehman, 2005).

"When applying for Medicare it does not depend on a persons' income. Almost everyone aged 65 and older is entitled to Medicare Coverage. Disabled persons under age 65 may receive Medicare benefits after