President Obama is known for once saying that he fought to ensure that health care was a right for every American rather than a privilege. In 1965, Medicaid was signed into law as a program to provide affordable health care to low-income families. Fifty-three years later, this program now supports “nearly a quarter” of all Americans and has become a major social welfare program committed to providing individuals living in poverty with equal health care. Although there would be an increase in taxes for a small percentage of Americans, because of its ability to improve the standard of living of low-income people, the United States federal government should increase eligibility for Medicaid. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayMedicaid plays a critical role in closing the health care gap created by racial inequities. People of color continue to be disproportionately more likely to be uninsured due to societal disadvantages and to be statistically more likely to be on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Of all racial minorities in the United States, “Latinos and Native Americans are at the greatest risk of being uninsured.” Without adequate insurance covering hospital visits and without having the economic means to pay for any type of healthcare, millions of people are forced to forgo essential medications that could potentially save their lives. Additionally, due to the high concentration of low-income African Americans living in Southern states that voted against Medicaid expansion, there is a "40 percent gap" between black and whites, with African-Americans dying much earlier and more frequently than others. the average white American. Without the 2010 expansion of the Affordable Care Act, millions of minorities are considered too far above the poverty line, to the point where they do not qualify for Medicaid but are too poor to afford a private health insurance. A Medicaid expansion would be a critical step toward government-promoted equity because it would provide desperately needed health care to the most financially vulnerable, who disproportionately happen to be people of color. Medicaid increases the number of Americans who can afford to live. save medical treatment that reduces mortality rates. Overall, states that voted to expand Medicaid to more low-income people "saw marked declines in deaths of residents aged 20 to 64" compared to states that did not choose to expand the program. Access to equal health care for Americans living in poverty has been proven to save lives through Medicaid, which makes avoidable care and life-saving medications more accessible to people who otherwise would never have received this type of care. medical treatments. Likewise, it is expected that “one life will be saved for every 176 uninsured Americans added to the program,” or approximately 400,000 people who would not have survived otherwise, being saved through the services that Medicaid has to offer. Access to preventive care gives low-income people a chance to maintain long-term health, which could mean never needing medical care or being at risk of premature death. Increasing Medicaid eligibility ensures that everyone has the opportunity to receive health care to avoid dying from diseases.