Final answer:
Medicare Advantage Plans by Centene are customized healthcare coverage options within Medicare, such as HMO, PPO, and SNP. Medicare, a federal insurance for those 65 and older or with certain disabilities, is distinct from Medicaid for low-income individuals. The ACA reformed both programs and helped introduce Medicare Part D for prescription drugs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inquiry relates to specific Medicare Advantage Plans offered by Centene. Medicare Advantage Plans, part of the Medicare program, are an alternative to the Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and often provide additional benefits. Centene, as a healthcare provider, offers different types of Medicare Advantage Plans which may include Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Special Needs Plans (SNP), and others that tailor healthcare coverage options to individuals' needs.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program primarily for individuals aged 65 or older, but also available to certain younger people with disabilities, and individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant). Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. Both programs are crucial components of the healthcare system in the United States.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) introduced several reforms to both Medicare and Medicaid, along with the establishment of healthcare marketplaces, to extend healthcare coverage and reduce healthcare costs. Notably, under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Medicare Part D was created to address the lack of a prescription drug benefit, which provided much-needed assistance for prescription drugs to the elderly and disabled.