assurance santé provides the financial security that allows people to see a doctor when they need one, get the treatment they need and stay out of hospital. It also helps them afford to pay for other basics, like rent and food.
Before the 1965 law, poor families often had little or no health coverage. With Medicaid, their access to care improved dramatically, leading to dramatic drops in infant mortality and infectious disease rates. Today, states that expanded Medicaid under health reform are covering many more low-income adults, and the program has helped to lower costs through initiatives that reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, improve coordination of care for people with chronic conditions, shift services away from nursing homes and into the community and help people find jobs and stable housing.
Medica serves communities in the heart of America by providing healthcare coverage and related services in the employer, individual, Medicaid and Medicare markets. The company has a long history of service, delivering quality and affordable coverage and is trusted in the communities it serves.
The New York Times’ archives include articles published in print before the start of online publication in 1996. The digital process occasionally introduces transcription errors and other problems that can affect the accuracy of the archived version. We are continually working to improve the reliability of these digitized articles. This article was originally published in print on March 21, 2006. It is being made available on the World Wide Web as part of our ongoing commitment to publishing the best journalism possible.