SUMMARY
Medicaid is the nation’s largest health insurance program, covering nearly 80 million people, or more than 1 in 5 Americans. For many people who have low incomes or a disability, or who are either very young or very old, it’s a vital government program. John Yang reports from Georgia for our series, “America’s Safety Net.”
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
Key terms
Medicaid — A U.S. federal health insurance program for children, the elderly, pregnant women, people who are disabled of any age and people with low incomes
Medicare — A U.S. federal health insurance program available to senior citizens
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- What is Medicaid?
- How many people in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid?
- Who are some of the people who have access to Medicaid?
- Why have 11 million people recently lost Medicaid coverage?
- When did the "unwinding" process begin, and why?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- What do you think will be some of the impacts on communities across the U.S. of having 11 million people lose Medicaid coverage?
- How would you reorganize the U.S. health insurance system to make it better for all Americans?
Media literacy: How can you find out more about how Medicaid operates in your state?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to find out more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Many politicians want to tie Medicaid eligibility to work requirements. Watch the following video about Medicaid expansion in Georgia and discuss — do you think work requirements for Medicaid make sense? What are some benefits and drawbacks of requiring them?
Learn more about the history of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) by clicking link below:
https://www.cms.gov/about-cms/who-we-are/history then take this quiz to see how you do.
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