Findings from the Issue Brief: Does Medicaid Make a Difference?
1: Getting good care.
95 percent of people with Medicaid who were covered all year in 2014 have a regular doctor, and more than half say they received excellent or very good care.
2: Paying medical bills.
Medicaid beneficiaries have less difficulty paying medical bills than people with private insurance. They are also less likely to be contacted by a collection agency or to feel they need to change their way of life to pay their medical bills.
3: Helping people get better access to care.
Since they’re less likely to worry about being able to afford health care, people with Medicaid are less likely than those without any insurance to skip care because of the cost.
4: Making it easier to get specialty care.
Those who are uninsured or covered by private insurance had more trouble accessing specialty care because of cost than those with Medicaid.
5: Receiving preventive care.
Patients with Medicaid are about as likely as those with private insurance to receive preventive screenings, such as flu shots and blood pressure and cholesterol checks.