Undergraduate
The Welfare Act or PRWORA (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act) which was passed in 1996, was done with the intention of helping the families who were unable to afford health care. This also included families who had children and were receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income) who would eventually be eligible for medical health insurance from the government. The act was designed to replace a program known as the AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). The guidelines that are required to be followed for an individual to become eligible for TANF include dependents who are also qualified. They are required to have earned, or to not have earned a specific amount that is set by TANF and to be willing to seek employment.
This can cause a negative effect for most dependents as people who are on welfare or Medicaid and are able to get jobs refuse to. They in turn depend on the government for their food, shelter, etc. The benefits that were once derived from the welfare act has been decreased somewhat. Even though the amount of people who chose to depend on the government has decreased as well. The act was subject to criticism from the people who were gainfully employed. They criticized the fact that people who were not contributors to the society were enabled to benefit from free health-care and housing. People who were gainfully employed were not privy to these benefits.
The welfare reform act caused many people who were in need of the assistance to remain un-enrolled because of the eligibility criteria for immigrants and children who were disabled. It drastically reduced the amount of people who were deemed eligible for Medicaid because the assistance from the government was also lowered. It also encouraged most to seek gainful employment as a means to survive as they were removed from the list of eligible beneficiaries. Others were not eligible because they were not citizens of the US.
One of the country’s aim to reduce poverty was manifested in the Welfare Act. The Act includes day care subsidies, food stamps and access to public housing, child health insurance and medicaid. The Welfare Act can be deemed successful in the increase of personal responsibility, but stemming welfare fraud can be problem. Fraud is committed in many ways with people on welfare. The reporting criteria was set up to stem this worrisome occurrence, but the success of it depends on the ability and willingness of the government workers to accurately and successfully report changes in size and income of the households who are dependent on Medicaid as soon as these changes occur.
The goals that were set by the government with the Welfare Act were achieved, because more people are now seeking employment as welfare offices are now opening job placement offices and provide training to facilitate the employment of individuals who were on medicaid. It reduces the dependency on government and increases responsibility for some individuals. More families are now financially stable instead of sitting down and depending on the government for assistance. It encourages productivity in individuals who were prior to this, considered to be plebs of society. The caseloads of welfare workers have been significantly decreased as those who were beneficiaries have also decreased.
References
(1998, Feb. 24 ). In United States General Accounting Office. (chap. Report to the RankinMedicaid: Early Implications of Welfare Reform for Beneficiaries and States) Retrieved Jul. 7, 2014, from http://www.gao.gov/assets/230/225422.pdf
Nathan PH.D, Richard. P.. (1999, Feb. 26 ). In National Health Policy Forum. Retrieved Jul. 7, 2014, from http://www.nhpf.org/library/issue-briefs/IB732_Wel
