Budgets are moral documents, reflecting our priorities as a nation by deciding where to allocate resources. Congress is targeting cuts and policy changes that limit access to health care, nutrition programs, and basic financial stability for millions of children, including Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the…

Importance: Children experiencing parental opioid use disorder are a growing population at heightened risk of physical and mental health issues over the life course. Yet these children are less likely to receive comprehensive, ongoing health care and their parents are more likely to report barriers to access health care for their children.…

Many college students, especially students from low-income backgrounds, face significant structural barriers that make it challenging to persist and complete a degree or certificate. These barriers include substantial financial challenges. Student financial aid at the federal and state levels has not kept up with rising college costs, resulting in…

National and state policymakers are considering whether to expand or establish work requirements for safety net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. During this process, policymakers should take into account what safety net program recipients need to meet those requirements and place themselves on a…

Medicare home health care provides critical skilled nursing and therapy services to patients in their homes, generally after a period in an inpatient facility or nursing home. Disparities in access to, or outcomes of, home health care can result in patient deterioration and increased cost to the Medicare program if patient care needs intensify.…

This comprehensive review of policies and programs designed to support youth transitioning out of foster care spans all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As part of the review, Chapin Hall administered a web-based survey of state independent living services coordinators to collect up-to-date information about their state's policies and…

This paper describes the State Children's Health Insurance Program's (SCHIP's) financing system, examining two alternatives under consideration for changing the system of redistributing unspent SCHIP funds. Section 1 presents background on SCHIP's financing structure (it is a block grant program, each state's share of federal SCHIP funds is…

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. "Kids Count in Colorado!" informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as…

This booklet is designed to serve as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs for individuals with disabilities and educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities. The…

In this Gerontological Society of America-sponsored Congressional Briefing Seminar, authorities from several disciplines summarize history, rationale, strengths, weaknesses, and future challenges of Medicare program. In current arena of health care reform, role of Medicare is far from certain, and it is crucial to understand and confront multitude…

Obtaining sufficient funding to cover ever-increasing costs of services for students with disabilities is a critical responsibility for state and district special education directors. Medicaid is a possible source of support for certain school-based services in conjunction with other federal funds. This policy analysis provides a brief background…

This paper begins by noting that at the time that Medicare was enacted in 1965, the plans for funding Medicare through a mix of public and private financing mechanisms seemed quite adequate. It goes on to explain how, 20 years later, the situation is changing enough to create a need to examine whether there is a fairer or more efficient way to…

As one of a series of topic papers assessing federal laws and programs affecting persons with disabilities, this paper outlines several ways in which existing Social Security laws serve to discourage and penalize people with disabilities if they seek to become employed and self-supporting. Programs funded under the Social Security Act are…

Analysis of the crisis in our nation's health care delivery system, and efforts being made for prompt correction. (IR)

Research suggests that investing in young children can help build a strong future workforce, improve children's educational success and health, and potentially reduce some of the social ills that drain the nation's resources and will. To have an informed conversation about future investments, it is important to start from an understanding of the…