Medicaid Coverage for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Essay Example

Since its implementation, Medicaid has ensured that more people can afford healthcare. Apart from the basic programs that Medicaid covers, there has been increased coverage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which has raised mixed reactions due to different people’s perceptions (Berridge, 2018; Gaffney, McCormick, et al.,2019).  Through this research, it will be possible to understand the current state of Medicaid Coverage for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Vogenberg & Santilli, 2019). It will also be possible to understand the areas in which improvement is needed to ensure the benefit of all people involved.

The topic has been covered extensively by scholars who have different opinions about it. According to Fleischmann (2020), Medicaid implementation was made possible through Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Through them, it has been possible to understand the implications of the CAM services on the effectiveness of Medicaid (Davis, Whedon & Weeks, 2011; & Herman & Coulter, 2016).  It is important to note that Medicaid has had multiple issues since its commencement (Johnson et al., 2016; Kino  & Kawachi, 2018; Kominski, Nonzee & Sorensen, 2017; Levy et al., 2020; Powers, Silow-Carroll & Meyer, 2020; Simon; & Soni & Cawley, 2017). Adding CAM to its list might further inhibit its affordability as there are too many basic programs dependent on it. (Stanley, 2015; Tais & Oberg, 2013; & Toyoda et al., 2020). However, the implementation of value-based treatments has further supported the incorporation of CAM into Medicare. Through the research, it will be possible to determine how the CAM has affected the implementation of Medicaid and the possible improvements that can be made in the future to make it more effective.

References

Berridge, C. (2018). Medicaid becomes the first third-party payer to cover passive remote monitoring for home care: Policy analysis. Journal of medical Internet research, 20(2), e66.

Fleischmann, M. (2020). Medicare/Medicaid Coverage for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Current Status, Trend and Area of Improvement (Doctoral dissertation, California State University, Northridge).

Davis, M. A., Whedon, J. M., & Weeks, W. B. (2011). Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and Accountable Care Organizations: the train is leaving the station. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17(8), 669-674.

Gaffney, A., McCormick, D., Bor, D., Woolhandler, S., & Himmelstein, D. (2019). Coverage expansions and utilization of physician care: evidence from the 2014 Affordable Care Act and 1966 Medicare/Medicaid expansions. American journal of public health, 109(12), 1694-1701.

Herman, P. M., & Coulter, I. D. (2016). Mapping the health care policy landscape for complementary and alternative medicine professions using expert panels and literature analysis. Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics, 39(7), 500-509.

Johnson, P. J., Kozhimannil, K. B., Jou, J., Ghildayal, N., & Rockwood, T. H. (2016). Complementary and alternative medicine use among women of reproductive age in the United States. Women’s Health Issues, 26(1), 40-47.

Kino, S., & Kawachi, I. (2018). The impact of ACA Medicaid expansion on socioeconomic inequality in health care services utilization. PLoS One, 13(12), e0209935.

Kominski, G. F., Nonzee, N. J., & Sorensen, A. (2017). The Affordable Care Act’s impacts on access to insurance and health care for low-income populations. Annual review of public health, 38, 489-505.

Levy, H., Ayanian, J. Z., Buchmueller, T. C., Grimes, D. R., & Ehrlich, G. (2020). Macroeconomic Feedback Effects of Medicaid Expansion: Evidence from Michigan. Journal of health politics, policy and law, 45(1), 5-48.

Powers, M., Silow-Carroll, S., & Meyer, J. (2020). Medicaid Expansion in Missouri-Economic Implications for Missouri and Interviews Reflecting Arkansas, Indiana, and Ohio Experiences. Health Management Associates.

Simon, K., Soni, A., & Cawley, J. (2017). The impact of health insurance on preventive care and health behaviors: evidence from the first two years of the ACA Medicaid expansions. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 36(2), 390-417.

Stanley, C. (2015). The patient protection and affordable care act: the latest obstacle in the path to receiving complementary and alternative health care. Ind. LJ, 90, 879.

Tais, S., & Oberg, E. (2013). The economic evaluation of complemantary and alternative medicine. Natural Medicine Journal, 3(2013), 1-8.

Toyoda, Y., Oh, E. J., Premaratne, I. D., Chiuzan, C., & Rohde, C. H. (2020). Affordable care act state-specific medicaid expansion: impact on health insurance coverage and breast cancer screening rate. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 230(5), 775-783.

Vogenberg, F. R., & Santilli, J. (2019). Key trends in healthcare for 2020 and beyond. American health & drug benefits, 12(7), 348.