About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 (January 27, 2005)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabdbz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS22035 January 27, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Coverage of the TANF Population Under Medicaid and SCHIP Elicia J. Herz Specialist in Social Legislation Domestic Social Policy Division Summary Health insurance is an important support for individuals receiving, leaving or diverted from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare or cash assistance program for low-income families. Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) are key vehicles for providing such coverage. While there is no formal link between TANF and either Medicaid or SCHIP, some TANF-eligibles, especially children, are likely to qualify for one of these programs. But state eligibility rules can be complex and often differ for parents versus children, leaving some parents, in particular, without coverage. Finally, transitional medical assistance (TMA) for families losing Medicaid coverage for work-related reasons is set to expire at the end of March 2005. Background Medicaid provided access to medical services for approximately 51.4 million people in 2002 (the latest official enrollment figure). To qualify, applicants' income and resources (also called assets) must be within program financial standards. These standards vary considerably among states, and different standards apply to different population groups within a state. Medicaid eligibility is also subject to categorical restrictions - generally, it is available only to low-income persons who are aged, blind, disabled, members of families with dependent children, and certain other pregnant women and children. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provided cash assistance to 2.2 million families in FY2003. TANF is structured as a flexible block grant to states, and it was the centerpiece of the 1996 welfare reform law, replacing previous entitlements to cash assistance. Under TANF, eligibility thresholds and benefit levels are established by states, but federal law imposes work requirements and time limits on benefits. Congressional Research Service **o The Library of Congress

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most