" Health Care after Welfare: Insurance for Women Who Have Left the TANF Rolls"
Since Congress enacted landmark legislation in 1996 reforming the welfare program, significant reductions in the nation’s welfare rolls have occurred. The declines in the welfare rolls have corresponded to similar declines in Medicaid enrollment. Despite efforts on the national level to help welfare leavers retain health care coverage, numerous studies have shown that many become uninsured, raising concerns over the health of former welfare recipients. This study documents the rates of uninsurance among former recipients and finds that women with mental illnesses are more likely to be uninsured than persons without these conditions. Since women with mental illnesses are four times more likely than women without to return to welfare, assuring their access to insurance and therefore to mental health services may be a potentially important mediating factor in their success obtaining self sufficiency.
Given that health problems are more widespread among low income individuals, and that the respondents in this survey reported that their health problems interfered with their ability to work, and that persons with mental health problems are substantially more likely to return to welfare and also less likely to be insured than persons reporting general health problems, it seems reasonable to conclude that access to adequate health care is essential for promoting and maintaining economic selfsufficiency. Hence, access to care should be a priority and mechanisms found to ensure that women leaving welfare are not faced with the loss of their access to care especially for mental health problems.
The faculty and staff of the de la Parte Institute are committed to enhancing the mental health and well-being of the citizens of Florida through leadership in integrating research, theory & practice.
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