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Income assistance, marriage, and child poverty: An assessment of the Family Security Act.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in key income support programs, reigniting a debate about the design of financial aid to low-income households with children. This study assesses the Family Security Act-a proposal presented by Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) on February 4, 2021 to reform the tax/transfer system-in terms of its efficacy to achieve the stated objectives of increasing marriage rates and cutting child poverty at no cost to the government. The assessment is carried out through a structural microsimulation approach, using a dynamic model of savings, labor supply, household formation, and marital status. We find that while the plan would be highly effective at increasing marriage rates, it would reduce child poverty at the expense of increasing poverty among single-mother families and deep child poverty. Furthermore, the plan would entail a substantial cost to taxpayers. (JEL E21, H24, H31, J12).

SUBMITTER: Ortigueira S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8919728 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Income assistance, marriage, and child poverty: An assessment of the Family Security Act.

Ortigueira Salvador S Siassi Nawid N

Economic modelling 20220314

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in key income support programs, reigniting a debate about the design of financial aid to low-income households with children. This study assesses the Family Security Act-a proposal presented by Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) on February 4, 2021 to reform the tax/transfer system-in terms of its efficacy to achieve the stated objectives of increasing marriage rates and cutting child poverty at no cost to the government. The assessment is carried out thro ...[more]

PMID: 35309015

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Project description:ObjectiveTo examine the development and implementation of a novel income security intervention in primary care.DesignA retrospective, descriptive chart review of all patients referred to the Income Security Heath Promotion service during the first year of the service (December 2013-December 2014).SettingA multisite interdisciplinary primary care organisation in inner city Toronto, Canada, serving over 40 000 patients.ParticipantsThe study population included 181 patients (53% female, mean age 48 years) who were referred to the Income Security Health Promotion service and engaged in care.InterventionThe Income Security Health Promotion service consists of a trained health promoter who provides a mixture of expert advice and case management to patients to improve income security. An advisory group, made up of physicians, social workers, a community engagement specialist and a clinical manager, supports the service.Outcome measuresSociodemographic information, health status, referral information and encounter details were collected from patient charts.ResultsEncounters focused on helping patients with increasing their income (77.4%), reducing their expenses (58.6%) and improving their financial literacy (26.5%). The health promoter provided an array of services to patients, including assistance with taxes, connecting to community services, budgeting and accessing free services. The service could be improved with more specific goal setting, better links to other members of the healthcare team and implementing routine follow-up with each patient after discharge.ConclusionsIncome Security Health Promotion is a novel service within primary care to assist vulnerable patients with a key social determinant of health. This study is a preliminary look at understanding the functioning of the service. Future research will examine the impact of the Income Security Health Promotion service on income security, financial literacy, engagement with health services and health outcomes.

Project description:BackgroundThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions, especially Medicaid expansion, are believed to have "spillover effects," such as boosting participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among eligible individuals in the United States (US). However, little empirical evidence exists about the impact of the ACA, with its focus on the dual eligible population, on SNAP participation. The current study investigates whether the ACA, under an explicit policy aim of enhancing the interface between Medicare and Medicaid, has improved participation in the SNAP among low-income older Medicare beneficiaries.MethodsWe extracted 2009 through 2018 data from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) for low-income (≤ %138 Federal Poverty Level [FPL]) older Medicare beneficiaries (n = 50,466; aged ≥ 65), and low-income (≤ %138 FPL) younger adults (aged 20 to < 65 years, n = 190,443). MEPS respondents of > %138 FPL incomes, younger Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and older adults without Medicare were excluded from this study. Using a quasi-experimental comparative interrupted time-series design, we examined (1) whether ACA's support for the Medicare-Medicaid dual-eligible program, through facilitating the online Medicaid application process, was associated with an increase in SNAP uptake among low-income older Medicare beneficiaries, and (2) in the instance of an association, to assess the magnitude of SNAP uptake that can be explicitly attributed to the policy's implementation. The outcome, SNAP participation, was measured annually from 2009 through 2018. The year 2014 was set as the intervention point when the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office started facilitating Medicaid applications online for eligible Medicare beneficiaries.ResultsOverall, the change in the probability of SNAP enrollment from the pre- to post-intervention period was 17.4 percentage points higher among low-income older Medicare enrollees, compared to similarly low-income, SNAP-eligible, younger adults (β = 0.174, P < .001). This boost in SNAP uptake was significant and more apparent among older White (β = 0.137, P = .049), Asians (β = 0.408, P = .047), and all non-Hispanic adults (β = 0.030, P < .001).ConclusionsThe ACA had a positive, measurable effect on SNAP participation among older Medicare beneficiaries. Policymakers should consider additional approaches that link enrollment to multiple programs to increase SNAP participation. Further, there may be a need for additional, targeted efforts to address structural barriers to uptake among African Americans and Hispanics.

Dataset Information

Income assistance, marriage, and child poverty: An assessment of the Family Security Act.

Publications

Income assistance, marriage, and child poverty: An assessment of the Family Security Act.

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