SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2023
Ky. ranks low in benefits for the poor; health secretary says he reminds legislators of the impact programs have on communities
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| Secy. Eric Friedlander |
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
In a national webinar on safety-net programs, state Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander said he would mention the state’s low ranking in assistance to needy families in his discussions with legislators who will soon write the state budget
The webinar was held Nov. 28 by the Brookings Institution, a leading think tank that does in-depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance at local, national and global levels.
The webinar opened with an introduction to Brookings’ new tool, State Safety Net Interactive, showing the evolution of safety-net benefits over 21 years for a hypothetical sample of non-disabled, non-immigrant, single-mother families if they had full access to major safety-net programs, based on each state’s rules.
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| Screenshot of Brookings Instituion interactive map |
The interactive tool shows that in 2022, Kentucky ranked 49th in cash and food assistance for this theoretical family, providing $4,810 in assistance. That was lower than any state but Arkansas and Mississippi. Adjusted for the cost of living in each state, Kentucky ranked 44th.
Friedlander said he looked forward to using this interactive tool in his policy discussions with the state’s lawmakers: “I appreciate getting the additional data and support from the tool that Brookings is rolling out today and I think it will be helpful in my discussions with the General Assembly.”
Friedlander said it’s important to recognize that Kentucky has a “blue governor” and a “very red General Assembly” and that there are often differing narratives when it comes to safety-net benefits and policy.
He said that when it comes to safety-net programs, his cabinet’s tries to recognize that whatever happens to an individual in any community impacts everyone in the community, and he tries to convey this to policymakers. One example he used is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps.
“I’ve taken an approach with the General Assembly, which is, if it weren’t for SNAP, we wouldn’t have the amount of grocers that we have across the state. If it wasn’t for Medicaid, we wouldn’t have a health-care system at all. If it wasn’t for child-care support, we wouldn’t have child care,” he said. “So I also take it from an angle of the economic support to communities . . . but what happens to communities when we’re able to provide support for these individuals in their communities.”
He said his cabinet recently increased Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal-state program that provides cash assistance to families with children and very low incomes.
Friedlander said Kentucky had not changed TANF in 20 years, and that among other things, the cabinet increased payments and reduced some administrative barriers. When legislators asked why, the cabinet showed them the economic impact of SNAP, TANF and Medicaid for each county, beyond the numbers for individuals.
“And it actually made an impact,” Friedlander said, adding later, “There are these dependence narratives that are out there, and I don’t believe that they’re backed up by evidence. But we have to be able to show the evidence that this is not the case within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.”
He said it is possible to work across partisan lines “as long as we are being honest and evidence-based about what’s happening.” He added that such talks generally take place “off-stage” and require “relationship building.”
Friedlander pointed to the state’s efforts to use the Kynect website to reduce the administrative burden of safety-net programs. “We have an integrated eligibility system, meaning you can go and you can sign up for different programs — TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, child care — under one umbrella.”
Friedlander said Kentucky discovered this system could work really well during the pandemic. He said other lessons from the pandemic include learning that CHFS could be “nimble” and “can make changes quickly” and can deliver services in a different, but often “more effective and efficient way.”
If you add all the other benefits that these low income people get they are netting more than the middle class is getting. Many choose not to work which enables them to not get up in the mornings
And make any effort to earn a income. They can go to the Suboxen clinics and get declared disabled and many still work for cash. They just have to go to the Suboxen clinics once per month to get their free pills. This system was created by our government and it is shameful. These people get free cell phones and free service, free internet and their service, free food at all the food pantries, free food thru the commonidity handouts, subsidized and some totally free rent, free Chrome books to utilize the internet, their kids get free breakfast and lunches at school, free for their kids a summer program that the school system delivers to their homes for food, free school supplies, free heat and cooling programs, free immunizations, Medicaid, drug programs for their medications, free clothing
At various charities and churches which includes shoes, coats, etc., and local health departments
Give them free diapers, free diaper bags, free kids carriers, car seats, celeal, baby food, etc., free toys at Christmas (which is more than the middle class can afford for their kids), and last I knew was a program that paid up to $1500.00 allowance to maintain their automobile.
I can not understand how you all justify giving all these programs to those that are able to work and choose not to work because they live so much better than those working. They get thousands more various dollars in food and services than they can use and the working people are the ones that struggle. Then these STIMULUS checks only contribute more dollars in their pockets to live “WELL” on as their is no stipulation that it is to spent on.
Then they get WELFARE checks and what do they spend all this money on? What do they need? What has the politicians missed to give them that they need? I live in a small county that most people know most everyone and I am hoping that our politicians know about all these programs. I personally just recently lost my husband and I am to receive $255.00 assistance thru Social Security
To help with his funeral expenses (this is all I got from any program). I can not even draw any part of his SS because I worked 43 years (and he worked 40 plus years). We are seniors and do not qualify for nothing except that $255. It has been 7 months since he passed and I have not gotten the $255 yet and have not received his last SS check of which they told me I qualified for but not received
Yet. Good thing we worked all our lives and saved enough to bury ourselves or he would be laying in storage somewhere. It is pitiful how the seniors that worked all their lives basically are the ones that are the lower income as after they pay their bills each month they have to watch each dollar they have to pay (while the people that do not work) get all their needs (and more food programs) than they can eat. Please consider having some assistance
For us seniors as we are not able bodied to work!
I am all about helping people in need but it is rediculus what young people do with all their food and money. Many buy up steaks, seafood, soda, etc. and sell it for a little of nothing to spend and thousands buy drugs out of their money.
Hopefully you read my post completely and attempt to investigate how seniors get nothing free (Social Security is not free as we worked for it). SSI is free and those people drawing it are to lazy to work. Those that truly disabled (medically) or seniors deserve help. If those people on drugs can draw all these freebies for not working, it is the politicians fault. Take some of it away and see how fast they go to work when they are hungry, no heat, no place to live, etc. Politicians created this mess and now are not speaking of taking benefits away from these leeches but yet are talking of taking a lot of the seniors SS checks. SICKENING!
Thanks Democrats.
You do know you live in one of the BIGGEST TRUMP areas of the country and yet you live in one of the biggest dependent on federal handouts in the country. There is not a democrat office holder in the county yet you blame the democrats.
Southern Ohio, Southern WV, and Eastern KY are some of the most dependent on tax dollars in the US except in the deep southern states. But they are the most Republican voters in the US.
Ky ranks 3rd in US as the most obese state.