Healthcare Policy Report: Medicaid and Insurance Plan Analysis

This report provides an overview of healthcare policy in the United States, focusing on health insurance plans available under the Medicaid program. It examines the four main levels of health insurance: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum, highlighting the differences in monthly premiums, deductibles, and coverage percentages. The report explains how these plans cater to different needs and economic situations, including exemptions for individuals under 30 and the varying levels of cost-sharing. It also discusses the impact of Medicaid expansion on insurance coverage rates and emphasizes the importance of understanding the different plans to ensure access to quality healthcare services. The report concludes by underscoring the significance of these health insurance plans in promoting positive health outcomes for citizens and ensuring access to healthcare when needed. The analysis is supported by references to relevant sources like the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and research on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Running head: HEALTHCARE POLICY
Healthcare Policy
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According to the KIFF website, around half of the nation’s population enjoys the
benefit of employer-sponsored health insurance. There are different levels of the healthcare
plan of Medicaid which is provided to the citizens for the access to advancing healthcare
(Medicaid: What to Watch in 2020, 2020). The site did not have a clear information in the
form of articles to help understand the different levels of health insurance that is provided to
the citizens of the country.
The Medicaid is one of the unique healthcare programs for the citizens because of
which 64% of the healthcare spending is done by them.After researching about the health
insurance plans in the healthcare in the United States, it could be understood that there are
four levels including bronze, silver, gold and platinum (Summary of the Affordable Care Act,
2015). Each of the health insurance plans can be distinguished with the amount of expenses
by the coverage of each plan. It could be deduced that the different health insurance plans
have different levels of percentage of amount to be paid while gaining access to the
advancing treatment (Simon, Soni&Cawley, 2017). In addition to the above mentioned plans,
for the citizens who are under the age of 30 are exempted from paying the premium on the
basis of their income and other economically-challenging circumstances like homelessness,
property damage from flood, fire or other natural disaster.
The different levels of health insurance plans which are made available to the cover
similar set of health benefits. It is with all the levels of health insurance in which individuals
are liable to pay a monthly premium, which are usually higher for the gold and platinum
plans. The bronze health insurance plan for the people of the country has the lowest monthly
premium and pays the highest care while needing care (Huguet et al., 2017). Hence, it is a
good choice for people who require a low-cost measure to gain protection from getting worse
care possible during scenarios like serious injury or illness. However, if an individual
undertakes this health insurance plan, they are required to pay for their regular care by

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themselves as they will not be covered within the health insurance plan. The silver plan for
the individuals require them to pay a moderate monthly premium with lesser deductibles than
the bronze plan while also providing moderate costs while getting access to the care by the
hospitals. It is an economically sustainable plan for individuals who qualify for extra savings
from their monthly income and gain access to much of their routine care for their illness or
injury. It is halfway between the most expensive and cheapest options for the premium to be
paid for the health insurance plans.
In contrast to the two low paying monthly premiums, the gold plan is for individuals
who would like to pay a little higher than the previous two monthly premiums such that to
obtain a higher coverage for the different medical care costs. The gold plan pays an average
of 80 percent of the healthcare expenses of the individual for the standard population. Upon
the usage of the plan by the individual, it could be deduced that the more or less than 80% of
the coverage will be carried out by the health insurance plan for the individual. Furthermore,
the platinum health insurance plan that pays an average of 90% of the health care expenses of
the individual. In the individual market, it is much more popular than the small business
market because of their extremely high monthly premiums. It is suitable for the individuals
who usually use much more care than their other counterparts in relation to their serious
injury or illnesses and routine care. If the individual chooses to enroll to this health insurance
plan, it is appropriate to say that nearly all of their costs will be covered by the plan while
getting access to the best care in the country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it could be ascertained that the health insurance plans under the
Medicaid program for the citizens have been structured such that maximum enrollment is
observed for all tiers of people in the country. The four different levels of the health

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insurance under the Medicaid program ensure to help the individuals from gaining quality
healthcare services in the times of need and ensuing the generation of a positive health
outcome for them.

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References
Huguet, N., Hoopes, M. J., Angier, H., Marino, M., Holderness, H., &DeVoe, J. E. (2017).
Medicaid expansion produces long-term impact on insurance coverage rates in
community health centers. Journal of primary care & community health, 8(4), 206-
212.
Medicaid: What to Watch in 2020. (2020). Retrieved 13 February 2020, from
https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-what-to-watch-in-2020/
Simon, K., Soni, A., &Cawley, J. (2017). The impact of health insurance on preventive care
and health behaviors: evidence from the first two years of the ACA Medicaid
expansions. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 36(2), 390-417.
Summary of the Affordable Care Act. (2015). Retrieved 13 February 2020, from
https://www.kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/summary-of-the-affordable-care-act/