On this date 50 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill into law that would transform the way the elderly and poor receive healthcare. Today, more than 110 million Americans receive health insurance through Medicaid and Medicare, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Darrin Johnson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Delaware, noted there have been major strides on the part of Medicaid to provide heathcare to uninsured groups, such as pregnant women, children and most recently, adults who don’t have children.
“The Affordable Care Act in 2010 allowed for the first time the expansion of eligibility to millions more adults, including those who do not have children," said Johnson.
Challenges in administering Medicaid still exist. Last year, UnitedHealthcare failed to negotiate a contract with Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, the only children’s hospital in Delaware. In April, the Nemours Foundation filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare for providing unpaid care to children on United’s Medicaid plan.
