Social Policies Affecting The Senior Citizens: Medicare (Essay Sample)

Social Policy; Medicare
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Medicare
One of the social policies affecting the senior citizens in America is Medicare. Medicare is a national social insurance policy, run by the federal government of U.S since 1965. It ensures access Americans who are 65 years and above assess health insurance. Medicare also covers young people with an end-stage renal disease and disablement (Medicare.gov, 2016). Medicare originally was meant for the individuals serving in the military but after time it was reformed to cater for the elderly. It was informed by the fact that senior citizens are vulnerable because they are increasingly prone to health problems, and they have reduced income. Older people mostly depend on social security pension plans and from family members as their source of revenue. Both of these sources are inadequate to cater adequately for all the needs mainly health related costs. Due to this insufficient income, the elderly are not able to receive quality health care leading to increased health issues. It also leads to constrained family relationships since family members are forced to dig deeper into their pockets so as to cover health bills of their elderly family members.
Medicare try's to address some of these issues by including some of the charges incurred by the elderly when seeking health care. Medicare covers approximately half of the medical expenses for those enrolled. The other half paid by the enrollee which is usually by personal finance or separate private insurance. Medicare has had successes such as the improvement of the health status of the elderly. Regarding longevity, Medicare had led to life expectancy going up for people at age the of 65 to 17.8 years in 1998 from 14.3 years in 1960. It has also resulted in the reduction to 21.3 percent in 1994 from 24.9 percent in 1982 of the disabled elderly population.
Medicare has led to fewer problems with medical bills among the elderly. It has reduced family conflicts occasioned by a massive medical bill. Medicare has given the elderly, especially the poor old, a chance to benefit from advances in modern medical technology, like treatment for heart disease and cancer (Davis and Rowland, 1986). Hence it has led to improved health status of the elderly citizens.
Medicare has resulted in the increase in seniors under health insurance. Before 1965, approximately 50 percent of the population above 65 years of age did not have health insurance, more than a quarter were estimated to go did not have medical care due to the high cost of health care, (Shakir, 2009). Today, the majority of the seniors can access affordable health care. The change towards the view that health care i...