The Welfare Reform Act, also known as the “The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996”, was intentionally designed to help needy families with children dependents and/or people receiving Supplemental Security Income with cash benefits, who in turn would be eligible for Medicaid Health Insurance (Valerius, Bayes, Newby, & Seggern, 2008).The Welfare Reform Act replaced a program called “AFDC (Aid to families with dependent children)” with another program (which many of us are familiar with) called “TANF”; Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Now in order for one to receive or to even become a candidate for TANF, there are certain “guidelines” or stipulations that have to be met.
First and foremost, to qualify for TANF a person has to have qualifying dependents; as well as earned or unearned Income not exceeding a certain amount set by TANF. Second, to take part in the TANF program one must be willing (if it falls under his or her state statue) to seek obtainable employment.Do eligible Medicaid candidates sometimes remain un-enrolled even though they are needy as a result of the Welfare Reform Act?According to Vera H. (2012), “Yes, the 'Welfare Reform Act' caused many existing Medicaid beneficiaries to lose necessary coverage. As of October 28, 2011, the 'Welfare Reform Act' lowered the number of people who were eligible for Medicaid and it lowered government assistance (para. 2).
Do eligible Medicaid candidates sometimes remain un-enrolled even though they are needy as a result of the Welfare Reform Act?I am going to answer this question through personal experience, if that is okay. I would definitely have to say that yes, without question, a man or a woman with eligible dependents do remain uncovered or un-enrolled even if they are severely in need of benefits all because of the Welfare Reform Act. The reason I state this is because I am a single Mom with four qualifying dependents, a full-time student and currently unemployed and because at one point I had been receiving one hundred thirty eight dollars a week in child support for my eldest son, I did not qualify for cash benefits and or dental coverage.However, I have not received child support since March 4, 2013 and have informed all of the “right” personnel, yet I am still mot receiving the benefits my family and myself should be. I am very angry about this; and it makes me think that someone somewhere is not doing his or her job to the best of his or her potential.
Especially since I have had nothing but dental problems since January and cannot get my teeth fixed because not one person has updated my information in their system. Thus, I have no choice but to suffer with extreme pain and watch my teeth literally fall out one-by-one because I cannot afford a dentist.
