Answer the questions in Bold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Answer the questions in Bold - Essay Example Resultantly, employees cannot be guaranteed a basic level of coverage from their employer. Three government programs are in place to assist high-risk members of the population with access to health care (Home, 2013). Medicare is a federal program for people over 65 (sometimes younger with approved disabilities) and provides short-term care insurance. However, most drugs and long-term service costs are not affected by this system. Medicaid, which is both federally and state funded, supports the portion of the population with the lowest amount of resources. This program tends to apply to a wider range of services than Medicare, though regulations vary from state to state. SCHIP is another large plan, and provides insurance for children of families with low income, but not low enough to qualify for Medicaid. Some smaller state-specific programs also extend coverage to specific subpopulations. Despite the presence of the above mentioned programs, a large portion of the US population remains without coverage (Americas Health Insurance Plans, 2013). Those who make too much for Medicaid, and are too young for Medicare, may find themselves exposed to the immense burden of health care costs. Drug expenses are especially cumbersome, as many employer programs (and otherwise) tend to focus on the delivery of hospital services. The restricted availability of insurance results in a great imbalance in health care utilization between various segments of the population (Young & DeVoe, 2012). The most services are accessible to (and are accessed by) the wealthiest members of society, due to the increased likelihood of quality employer coverage, as well as the ability to purchase insurance at a premium (an unreachable luxury for much of the middle class). The oldest and poorest people in the US have some coverage due to government programs, but cannot always take advantage of these opportunities due to other barriers to access, like