Answer

Eligibility Criteria in Entitlement Programs

The introduction of entitlement programs in the U.S. has proved effective in elevating the nation’s social-political and socio-economic status. Despite being an influential factor in the development of communities, critics attest that the eligibility criteria used by some programs disdain their mission and vision, considering the impact of problems it introduces to society. Using Medicaid as one of the entitlement programs, this essay will analyze how its eligibility conditions introduce alienation and off-targeting of benefits after being established and propose an alteration for the program’s eligibility criteria that will reduce the established problems in a defined society.

Entitlement Program

Since its establishment into the U.S. Constitution by President Lyndon B, in 1965, Medicare has been considered a masterpiece health program. For over 50 years, Medicare has played a major role in improving the Nation’s economic status by protecting the heath as well as the well-being of many Americans, regardless of their race (Burns & Dague, 2017). Following the annual Medicaid Trustee reports, it is evident that Medicare covers almost half of the enrollees’ healthcare expenses. According to its pioneers, the more the number of healthy people in the society, the wealthier it becomes.

Eligibility Criteria

Despite benefiting millions of citizens in the past few years, its enrolment criterion has received major backlash from critics who view it as a barrier to economic development. For one to qualify for Medicaid, he or she should be sixty-five years and above with limited income (Garfield et al., 2016). The problem with this policy plan is that after the recession, many Americans lost their jobs meaning that a selected few will be beneficiaries of Medicaid.

Associated Problems

By virtue of other health programs not having anything to do with the recipients’ income levels, Medicaid becomes a hoax. Firstly, its method of disbursing funds is erroneous as it off-targets its benefits. A majority of the people who are 65 years and above do not have a steady income hence many would not qualify for the funds (Hudson & Moriya 2017). Secondly, the eligibility criterion causes alienation among people in a given setting. Opting to people with some income as the receivers of the benefits while living those with low income, creates a division of social classes in the community.

Alteration for the Eligibility Criteria

Ostensibly, Medicaid’s eligibility criterion makes it hard for people in modern America to extol its establishment. The only way for Medicaid to be acknowledged as a favorable healthcare program is by changing the policy about one’s income level (Garfield et al., 2016). Medicaid should accommodate for the less fortunate.

Importance of the Advanced Eligibility Criteria

Being an all-inclusive health program, equality in the identified social setting materializes in that the rich will hardly look down upon the poor and the poor will not be envious of the rich (Garfield et al., 2016). The essence of introducing equality is that it encourages oneness and economic growth. Besides, it will establish respect among people since it supports imperative human rights such as the right to health.

 In conclusion, introducing entitlement programs in America has proved to be an essential tool in boosting its socio-economic and socio-political progress. While other programs seem to benefit the society, some like Medicaid has proved to be incompatible. By using conventional eligibility criteria of discrediting potential beneficiaries who have no steady income, the program becomes not-effective. Instead, it becomes a menace when such options generate social problems. All the same, analysts suggest that the only way for Medicaid to become an advocate of human rights is to include the less fortunate as potential beneficiaries.