The Politics of Medicaid

In 1965, the United States government enacted legislation to provide low-income individuals with quality health care and related services. Initially viewed as the friendless stepchild of Medicare, Medicaid has grown exponentially since its inception, becoming a formidable force of its own. Funded jointly by the national government and the fifty states, the program is now the fourth most expensive item in the federal budget and the second largest category of spending for almost every participating state, most notably with regard to nursing home coverage.Laura Katz Olson, an expert on health, aging, and long-term care policy, unravels the multifaceted and perplexing puzzle of Medicaid with respect to those who invest and benefit. Assessing the social, political, and economic dynamics that have shaped Medicaid for almost half a century, she helps readers of all backgrounds understand the entrenched and powerful interests woven into the program that are instrumental in swelling costs and holding elected officials hostage. Addressing such fundamental questions as whether patients receive good care and whether Medicaid truly meets the needs of the population it supposedly serves, Olson evaluates the true extent to which the program has advanced health care in the United States.