More Americans hungry for food stamps, By Marilyn Geewax, August 28, 2011, National Public Radio: “This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to release its latest update on the food stamp program. It’s an important indicator of the nation’s economic health – and the prognosis is not good. Food stamp use is up 70 percent over the past four years and that trend is expected to continue. The spike began in late-2008 and early-2009 when the worst of the recession was triggering massive layoffs and home foreclosures. Although the economy has been growing since mid-2009, the pace has been too slow to absorb the nearly 14 million people without jobs. Nearly half of those have been out of work more than six months. As a result, the number of people seeking federal help with groceries has been soaring. At this time four years ago, before the recession hit, about 27 million people were using food stamps. Today 46 million get help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – what most people call food stamps – which is roughly 15 percent of the population…”
Day: August 30, 2011
Medicaid Cuts – North Carolina
Wave of Medicaid cuts to begin, By Lynn Bonner, August 28, 2011, News and Observer: “New cuts to health services for the poor take hold in October, with the elimination of eye exams and glasses for adults on Medicaid. Medicaid recipients are receiving notices about reductions, eliminations or other changes to an array of health services in the next few months. The $354 million Medicaid cut in the state budget includes limits and other changes to services totaling $16.5 million. In addition to getting rid of routine adult eye care and glasses, the state plans to limit payments for deep cleaning dental treatments for people who have gum disease to once every two years from once a year. Outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for adults will be limited to three visits a year…”
Unemployment Insurance Fund – Indiana
Jobless benefits fix costing Ind. businesses more, Associated Press, August 28, 2011, Lafayette Journal and Courier: “Indiana businesses have paid about 44 percent more in employer taxes this year under a legislative effort to fix the state’s bankrupt unemployment insurance fund. The Journal Gazette reported that so far this year businesses have paid $741.6 million to the state’s unemployment trust fund. That’s up about 44 percent from last year, when the total collected from Indiana companies was $514 million. Those businesses also face the added burden of federal penalties because Indiana still owes the federal government about $1.8 billion it borrowed to continue making payments to the unemployed. Businesses pay taxes into an unemployment insurance trust fund that pays jobless benefits to Indiana residents who lose their jobs. However, Indiana has been paying out more in benefits than it received from taxes since 2000. That eroded the trust fund surplus well before the recession hit…”