Sherry is 77 years old and lives independently in Murray County in north Georgia. She gets up five days a week at 5 am and prepares for her day, which begins with a bus ride to the RossWoods Adult Day Center. Medicaid and Medicare make it possible to spend her weekdays at RossWoods where she engages in arts and crafts and social activities designed to keep her brain and body healthy. She also receives information about her medications and doctor’s appointments. Sherry is one of over half a million seniors and people with disabilities in Georgia who depend on Medicaid and Medicare to live and function in their communities.
Sherry has several health conditions including high blood
pressure, a blood clot in her heart, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, a pacemaker,
and arthritis in one of her legs. On top of all that, she recently fell and
broke her wrist, causing nerve damage. Thanks to Medicaid, Sherry is able to
afford the medications she needs to live a functional and healthy life. She would
not have the financial means to pay the standard $30–$50 copay for each of her
seven medications but Medicaid means she pays just $1.20 per medication instead.
To get to the pharmacy for her medications, doctors’ appointments and RossWoods, a type of Medicaid called the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) waiver provides Sherry with transportation. CCSP waivers provide “community-based social, health and support services to eligible consumers as an alternative to placement in a nursing home.” When asked about her Medicaid coverage, Sherry said: “I couldn’t make it if I didn’t have [Medicaid]. There would be no way.”
For
168,000 seniors like Sherry who typically live on
low, fixed incomes, Medicaid makes the difference and helps to pay the costs of
their Medicare coverage. For some, it provides additional health benefits not
covered through Medicare. For others, Medicaid allows them to age with dignity
in their communities by covering needed home and living adaptations like chair
lifts, wheelchair ramps, or engaging day programs with trained staff.
Georgia Pathways to Coverage Medicaid program too limited, too costly, analysis finds
Jess Mador
More than a year after the state launched the Pathways to Coverage program, offering Medicaid in exchange for work or other state-approved activities, advocates say the program is too difficult…
