For over 50 years, Medicaid has provided vital health insurance protections to seniors in nursing homes and low-income Americans of all ages. Although the majority of Medicaid beneficiaries are children and working-age adults, Medicaid spends more money on long term care for seniors and people with disabilities than anything else.
Because the United States lacks affordable long-term care services, Medicaid has become the default insurer for long-term care for seniors of all income levels. Even well-off and middle class seniors faced with long-term care and nursing home costs are forced to “spend down” to Medicaid’s stringent income and assets levels in order to obtain the long term care they need. As a result, Medicaid has become essential to ensuring that all of our nation’s seniors, regardless of income, can receive much needed health care coverage.
Why Medicaid Is Important to Seniors