âDog tagsâ is the informal term for the identification tags worn by military personnel, because of their resemblance to actual dog tags. The tags are primarily used for the identification of dead and wounded soldiers, and to convey essential basic medical information, such as blood type and history of inoculations, along with religious preference.
Medicaid, on the other hand, is a health care program for low-income individuals who could not otherwise afford health insurance. Medicaid is funded in part by the government and the state in which the enrollee lives. The states establish their own eligibility standards and services for Medicaid, while the federal government establishes criteria for Medicare.
Medicare is a social insurance program that serves more than 44 million enrollees (as of 2008). The program costs about $432 billion, or 3.2% of GDP, in 2007. Medicaid is a social welfare (or social protection) program that serves about 40 million people (as of 2007) and costs about $330 billion, or 2.4% of GDP, in 2007. Together, Medicare and Medicaid represent 21% of the FY 2007 U.S. federal government. Both Medicaid and Medicare were created when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed amendments to the Social Security Act on July 30, 1965. What is Medicaid? What is Medicare? What is Medicaid?