Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Research Paper

S.A. It is worth noting that some of these parts that are left out can be very expensive at times particularly when the beneficiary has to pay the out-of-pocket premiums and deductibles as well, and these services could be inevitable like seeking medical services outside the U.S.A. Some of the services left out by the cover at times can be more expensive and life threatening that those covered hence this serves to negate the whole purpose of the CMS health care services.

In order to cover the above mentioned areas that the CMS leaves out, there is the Medicare part C which is also referred to as Medicare + Choice program which allows the beneficiary to select a private health plan provider such as the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) who will then contract with the Medicare in order to provide all the covered health services. This is the other undoing of the CMS plan since the private companies are required to cover all of the services while receiving only fixed monthly due from CMS, not taking into account the cost of care that was received by the patient. The effect of this is that the HMO may sound cheaper for the clients but it provides leaner options with most people going only for the primary care, hence effectively remaining not sufficiently covered (Steven J. Lonchyna, 2011).

With the adoption of the Obama Health care plan, there is hope that the situation will be amicably solved ultimately. One of the very central things that the health care plan will provide to resolve the current problem is the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) which are emergency services dedicated to providing care to patients with injuries or illnesses that the medical personnel or the patient believes are emergencies. These services are mostly provided out of the hospital and in some cases it constitutes providing transportation to emergency patients from one hospital to another.The primary aim of the EMS is to readily avail treatment to those in acute need for it with the aim of putting under control the prevailing symptoms, as well as arranging for a prompt transportation of the patients to the closest place of definitive care which is mostly the emergency department in a hospital or a place with qualified physicians, all these without considering the extent to which one is insured first.

The health care plan also comes in to fill the gaps that were left by the CMS such as prohibiting health insurers from denying coverage or charging based on patients' medical histories or gender, repeal of insurance companies' exemption from anti-trust laws, set minimum standards for qualified health benefit plans, most employers to provide insurance cover for their employees or pay a surtax on the workers' wages up to 8%, an expansion of Medical aid to include more low-income Americans by heightening Medicaid eligibility limits to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level and by covering adults without dependents.

It also fronts a subsidy to low- and middle-income Americans to help buy insurance. This inclusion of more low earning Americans will enable make the health care accessible to the population that there before could not access it and also those who could not afford the out-of-pocket charges and deductibles will still have the access to medical care.

References

Congressional Budget Office (2011). Technological Change and the Growth of Health Care

Spending. Retrieved November 10, 2011 from http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8947/MainText.3.1.shtml

Steven J. Lonchyna, (2011). The Evolution of Medicare and Medicaid Services. Retrieved November 10, 2011 from http://www.cwru.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Medicare_Medicaid.htm

Techtarget, (2011). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved November 10,

2011 from http://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/Centers-for-Medicare-Medicaid-Services-CMS.....