Program Evaluation & Implementation

[Name of the Institute]Program Evaluation & Implementation

Introduction

Health is a crucial necessity for human beings. The system of health care is pivotal and crucial to the state. The implementation and organization of various health related programs are significant to have an influence on the public health in a positive manner. According to World Health Organization (WHO), United States of America expends 1.5 times more amount per capita in comparison to the other countries that are developed (American medical women association, n.d.). Being the dynamically diverse and largest society, USA spends around about 2 trillion dollars on a yearly basis on the system of health care (Cutler, 2008). Although US is the highest spending developed nation, still its life expectancy rate is less than 13 developed countries across the globe. The main reason for this low life expectancy rate is the uncontrollably high expenditures on the sector of health care.

Health insurance plays a crucial part in offering quality health care to the citizens of US (Bovbjerg & Hadley, 2007). Nevertheless, there is an enormous amount of population that cannot afford such insurances in the US. In US, a number of health care programs are getting executed. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs has been impacted by the reduced funds and a high growth in population. Consequently, these programs have to deduct their costs from the expenditure of hospitals unnecessarily. Due to this, the targeted consumers remain untreated. One example of such a health care program is Medicaid.

Discussion

Medicaid Structure

Medicaid is a health care program in US designed for the general public. It is the third largest source of insurance related to health in the US after Medicare and employer-based coverage. Medicaid offers essential medical related services to the deprived population of the US. This program is completely funded by the federal and state government of US (Ohio Fact sheet, 2009). Medicaid supports the institutions of safety-net, such as health clinics and hospitals that offer health care services to deprived and uninsured people. The mandatory services provided by Medicaid include hospital services, physician services, laboratory services, maternity, family planning, pediatric, surgical and so forth (Falls, 2010). Another program of the same type exists in US. It is called Medicare. Medicare is a health care program that is funded only by the federal government.

Targeted Population

The targeted population of this program is those families that have scarce resources, low income or are disabled. The poor children, pregnant women, disabled, and the elderly are eligible to participate in this health care program. However, those adults who do have their own children are not included in the specifications of this program (Falls, 2010). On the contrary, the Medicare program is designed primarily for senior citizens of US. However, it also covers people who are below 65 years of age and are disabled or have end stage renal disease, eligible to get benefits of social security (Falls, 2010).

Criteria for Eligibility

In Medicaid program, people are means-tested. The criterion for eligibility is extremely strict and varies ...