Does Medicaid Make a Difference?
<p>Medicaid provides health insurance to tens of millions of Americans, including many who had no coverage before the Affordable Care Act allowed states to extend eligibility for the program. But how well does Medicaid do its job?</p><p>According to a new Commonwealth Fund study, 95 percent of adults who have Medicaid and were covered all year have a regular doctor, and 55 percent report receiving excellent or very good care—experiences similar to those reported by people with private insurance. In contrast, 77 percent of adults without any health coverage have a regular doctor and only 40 percent say they get good care. </p>
<p>The study also finds that Medicaid beneficiaries have good experiences with their providers, with 53 percent able to get a same- or next-day appointment the last time they were sick, compared to 43 percent of the uninsured. </p>