The state of Oregon is shipping air conditioners, air purifiers and portable batteries to some of its most vulnerable residents, a first-in-the-nation experiment that uses Medicaid money to prevent the potentially fatal health effects of extreme heat, smoke from forest fires and other effects that are related to climate change and natural disasters.
The equipment began to be distributed since March, this expands a strategy of the Biden administration to take Medicaid beyond just traditional healthcare and bring it into the middle of social services, according to KFF, at least 20 states, including California, Massachusetts and Washington, already have billions of Medicaid dollars allocated to programs to help homeless people get a decent roof over their heads and prepare healthy meals for individuals with diabetes.
Oregon is the first state to use Medicaid funds exactly for costs directly related to climate issues, as part of its five-year, $1.1 billion effort to address social needs, which also includes health benefits. Housing and nutrition. Federal, state and health care workers hope to demonstrate that lives and taxpayer dollars can be saved when investments are made before disaster strikes.
How Will Get These New Medicaid Coverages in OR?
“Climate change is a healthcare issue,” so they are absolutely right to seek to provide help to Oregon’s neediest and sickest residents to prepare for heat, drought, and other extreme weather events that can be extremely dangerous. said the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, during his visit to Sacramento, California, at the beginning of April.
Becerra said the Biden administration wants states to see how best to improve patient health, whether by giving citizens shelter instead of homelessness or reducing their exposure to high temperatures with air conditioning.
However, expanding Medicaid into social services may result in duplicating existing housing and nutrition programs offered by other federal agencies, while some U.S. citizens are in need and unable to obtain basic health care, Gary said. Alexander, director of the Health Safety Net and Medicaid Reform Initiative at Paragon Health Institute.
“There are between 600,000 to 700,000 people with intellectual disabilities in the United States who are waiting for Medicaid services, they are on a waiting list,” said Alexander, who charge from supervision of state health agencies in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. “Meanwhile, Medicaid has money for housing, food and air conditioning for its beneficiaries. It seems to me that we should take care of the intellectually disabled first before entering all these new areas.”
What is the Affordable Care Act?
The Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare,” aims to provide affordable health insurance through a regulated marketplace. Open Enrollment is the main sign-up period, but you may still qualify with a life event like job changes or marriage.
The ACA introduced several key provisions, including the establishment of health insurance marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can compare and purchase health insurance plans. It also prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions, and it expands Medicaid eligibility in participating states.
Overall, the ACA aims to improve healthcare quality, reduce healthcare costs, and provide coverage to more people across the country.
