Program Evaluation and Implementation

Program Evaluation and Implementation

Introduction

Health is the vital necessity of life. The health care system is the crucial and pivotal system of a state. The organization and implementation of different health related programs are necessary to affect the public health in a positive way. According to World health organization, United States of America spends 1.5 times greater amount per capita as compared to the other developed countries (American medical women association, n.d). Being the largest and dynamically diverse society, America spends around 2 trillion per year on the health care system (Cutler, M.D, 2008). Although it is the highest spending developed nation worldwide, yet the life expectancy rate of US is lesser than 13 developed countries in the world. The reason behind this problem is the uncontrollably rising health care expenditures.

Health insurance plays a pivotal role, in providing quality health care (Bovbjerg, Hadley, 2007). Nevertheless, there is a large population that can still not afford this insurance in the US. There are a number of health care programs running in the States. However, the efficiency of these programs has been affected but the growing population and reducing funds. The programs then deduct the money unnecessarily from the hospitals expenditure, or the targeted audience remains untreated. Medicaid is one extensive example of such programs.

Discussion

Medicaid structure

Medicaid is a health program for the general public, funded by the government. This includes the state and the federal government (Ohio Fact sheet, 2009)

Targeted population

The targeted audience is the families that have low income, scarce resources or, are disabled. The poor pregnant women, children, the elderly, disabled and the parents come under the specifications of this program. However, the childless adults will not be included (Falls, K., 2010)

Financing the Medicaid program

The financing of the program can be done by the government itself. This can be achieved by the joint efforts of the state and the federal government through taxes. The federal government alone is responsible for the 57% payment, ranging in between 50 to 76%, of Medicaid costs. The rules of counting the income and matching if the person matches the criteria for Medicaid depends on the state the individual live (Anonymous, 2011)

The spend down condition

It is a condition applied when the individual's income exceeds the level set by Medicaid. This is known as extra income. If these people, after paying the bills are left with the little money, they will be included in the Medicaid. This is called spend down, and the Medicaid pays the remaining amount. This spend down condition is applied over children under 21 and adults over 65 years of age only (www.oms.nysed.gov)

Implementation

The Medicaid providers

There are Medicaid providers all over the state. The government pays them funds for individuals that are registered under Medicaid program. The program is operated in each of the state, under slightly different conditions, by the agency of the state's government. According to the NAMD survey of 2001, the Medicaid agency, being a giant umbrella agency, has a different set of directors all ...