Medicaid Eligibility and Financing

The United States is one of the remaining countries in the developed world that does not have a single-payer health care insurance system in place. With the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act being uncertain, we hear continuing discussion as to whether the United States could (and/or should) adopt a single-payer system. Could a single-payer system be possible, even though it is forecast to cost trillions of dollars? How would it affect health care costs, coverage networks, types of covered vs. noncovered services, patient waiting times (for appointments, testing, procedures, and surgeries), coinsurances, and (finally) our taxes? Would currently working employees be required to give up their existing coverage for what will be provided under the single-payer system?

Once you have read the assigned background readings, as well as completed some peer-reviewed research of your own, address the following:

1. Describe an example of how a single-payer system (such as ‘Medicare For All’, as just one example) works in the United States.
2. Looking at examples of other countries with a single-payer system, what are the specific benefits of having such a single-payer system? Include at least three specific benefits, citing credible sources for your facts.
3. Looking at examples of other countries with a single-payer system, what are the specific drawbacks of having such a single-payer system? Include at least three specific drawbacks, citing credible sources for your facts.
4. Are you in favor of a single-payer system in the United States? Justify your position for or against this with credible sources.

SLP Assignment Expectations

1. Conduct additional research to gather sufficient information to support your analysis.
2. Provide a response of 3-5 pages, not including title page and references.
3. There are multiple required items to be addressed herein; please use subheadings to show where you are responding to each required item and to ensure that none are omitted.
4. Support your paper with peer-reviewed articles, with at least 3 references. Use the following link for additional information on how to recognize peer-reviewed journals:
   Angelo State University Library. (n.d.). Library Guides: How to recognize peer-reviewed (refereed) journals. Retrieved from https://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php
5. You may use the following source to assist in formatting your assignment:
   Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). General APA guidelines. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.
6. For additional information on reliability of sources, review the following source:
   Georgetown University Library. (n.d.). Evaluating internet resources. Retrieved from https://www.library.georgetown.edu/tutorials/research-guides/evaluating-internet-content

Required Reading/Viewing

Dillender, M. (2017). Medicaid, family spending, and the financial implications of crowd-out. Journal of Health Economics. Vol. 53, 1-16. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Kaiser Family Foundation. (2019). Ten things to know about Medicaid: Setting the facts straight. Available at  https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/10-things-to-know-about-medicaid-setting-the-facts-straight/

Perez, K. (2017). The fiscal realities of a single-payer healthcare system. Healthcare Financial Management, 71(11), 108-109. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Petrou, P., Samoutis, G., & Lionis, C. (2018). Single-payer or a multipayer system: A systematic literature review. Public Health, Vol. 163, 141-152. Available in the Trident Online Library.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2019). Medicaid: The basics. Available at https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2019/02/medicaid-the-basics.html.

Yu, J., & Zhang, Y. (2017). Comparison of single-payer and non single-payer health care systems: A study of health administration efficiency. Modern Economy, 8(6), 816-833. https://www.scirp.org/pdf/ME_2017062216110827.pdf