Well, in Washington many of the majority party are talking of turning Food
Stamps and Medicaid into block grants – as happened to Temporary Assistance
a few years back.
The claim is that block grants offers states flexibility do what works in
their situation as well as allowing Washington to control its costs. The
reality in Missouri has been the diversion of money from struggling
families to bureaucrats and friends of legislators when block grants become
law. (Remember Senate Bill 24?) Fewer people get helped as money for
services continually shrinks.
Anyway, the Family Support Division and MO HealthNet Division Monthly
Management Report for November 2016 is on the web. The report [See
https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd_mhdmr/1611-family-support-mohealthnet-report.pdf
] details the continuing, deliberate erosion of the two core family benefit
programs, Food Stamps and Temporary Assistance…
► This November almost 75,000 fewer Missourians received food
stamps compared to 11/15. (The stamp issue total dropped by $7 million for
the month.)
► This November just 32,742 Missouri citizens received Temporary
Assistance, against 63,067 in 11/15. (Benefits issued dropped by $1.6
million for the month.)
Ironically, despite ridiculously low income limits, MO HealthNet (Medicaid)
will not be squelched. This November 51,000 more Missourians received
health care from the state compared to 11/15.
Of course, it still costs a lot more to care for a few seniors in nursing
homes than it does for hundreds of thousands of kids. This November the
state paid $96.8 million for nursing home beds for 24,650 people, or,
$3,929 per person. Meanwhile, 512,773 people in Managed Care (most of whom
are kids) cost $119 million, $232 per person.
Glenn Koenen
Jan 3, 2017