Why we Still Need Medicaid

Michael Streich, Suite 101

First Published May 19, 2011

 

 

A key issue in the 2012 general election involves the future of Medicaid, created by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s efforts to combat the “war on poverty.” Johnson’s Great Society represented a massive extension of New Deal social legislation that expanded federal and state assistance to the elderly and disabled. Medicaid today includes a variety of health insurance programs for some of the neediest citizens, especially during times of economic crisis. The future of the program, however, may become victim to long-term budget cuts, a prospect being vociferously advocated by conservative Republicans and gaining limited momentum among some Democrats.

 

The Continued Need for Medicaid in Post Modern America

 

In July 1965, President Johnson inaugurated Medicaid, stating that, “No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine.” Medicaid represented “…the seeds of compassion…” Johnson’s remarks singled out both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, former presidents that began to plant those seeds. Today, however, such programs, according to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, represent “social engineering.”

 

As Johnson noted in 1965, medical costs can easily consume life-long savings. In many cases, private health care was, for many years, denied to millions due to pre-existing conditions. Technology has also made it easier to create data bases used by insurers to catalog what medical prescriptions have been filled (one of the largest data bases for this is in Utah). The future of health care, whether through Medicaid, so-called “Obamacare,” or other reformist programs, will be determined by the motives of American citizens to provide adequate protection for the elderly and disabled.

 

The Historical Need for Social Justice and Basic Health Care

 

Considered one of America’s greatest presidents, Andrew Jackson defeated John Quincy Adams in the election of 1828 and proceeded to exercise what Senator William Marcy of New York later called the “spoils system.” Jackson’s use of political patronage replaced approximately ten percent of federal officeholders, some of them postmasters.

 

Historian Page Smith writes that, “…the general economic insecurity that characterized American life must be kept in mind…” Several of those dismissed committed suicide and most were left in destitution. In the 19^th Century, only charity existed to help the poor. The onset of any catastrophic illness turned life-long workers into beggars.

 

Working conditions became more aggravated following the American Civil War. According to historians, “…conditions of labor were almost uniformly deplorable…” Thousands of workers became unemployed after disabilities and work-related injuries. Civil War veterans waited through several presidential administrations to receive compensation for injuries sustained. Not until the 20^th Century was the plight of the laboring poor slowly addressed.

 

In Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge asks, “…are there no workhouses?” Pauperism was a common feature of a 19^th Century industrialized society whether in Europe or in the United States. In the 20^th Century, society in the post industrialized world paints itself as enlightened. In foreign affairs the United States seeks to promote democracy as witnessed by U.S. support for equal rights in the so-called Arab Spring.

 

Medicaid is Needed More than Ever

 

The poor are often the most vulnerable in any society. This includes millions of Americans receiving food stamps, school lunches, and medical support. Medicaid is representative of a social justice obligation. Among 2011 conservative Republicans, notably Tea Party members, the need is obscured by other large expenditures such as defense. According to the Winston Salem Journal (May 3, 2011), over 44 million Americans receive food stamps. Families USA estimates that 58 million Americans receive Medicaid support.

 

In some instances, those most critical have themselves benefitted. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, supported by the Tea Party, opposes federal programs like Medicaid yet as an ophthalmologist accepted federal monies for medical services. As a physician, Senator Paul would be in an excellent position to know the debilitating costs of healthcare, especially for the elderly.

 

Medicaid, though costly, is needed, providing necessary healthcare options to the poor and disabled. While abuse occurs, Medicaid must not become a “political football” in the 2012 general election. Too much is at stake as baby boomers retire and look toward the so-called golden years with dignity, respect, and appropriate care.

 

Sources:

 

A Consumer’s Guide to North Carolina Medicaid (Division of Medical Assistance, Raleigh, NC)

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Medicaid speech, July 30, 1965

J. Joseph Huthmacher, Senator Robert F. Wagner And The Rise of Urban Liberalism (Atheneum, 1968)

Page Smith, A People’s History of the United States, Volume 4 and Volume 6 (McGraw-Hill Book Company and Penguin Books)

*Copyright owned by Michael Streich. No reprints without written approval.

[In North Carolina, Governor Cooper (D) has pushed for the expansion of Medicaid but the Republican-led legislature has strenuously resisted]