But based on several studies of TANF and its beneficiaries, “it barely reaches even the poorest Americans, and has all but ceased doing the work of lifting people out of poverty,” according to the Atlantic. “‘Welfare reform’ didn’t fix welfare so much as destroy it, and if similar changes were applied to Medicaid and food stamps, they would likely do the same.”

Americans believe benefits fraud is common for SNAP

Experts say that deliberate SNAP fraud is uncommon because of the rigorous application process and multi-step eligibility review. In 2016, the Congressional Research Service determined that for every 10,000 households participating in SNAP, about 14 contained a recipient who was investigated and determined to have committed fraud.

Who Is Really Responsible for Welfare Fraud?

In other words, don’t take a single example or casual observation of welfare fraud and claim it represents the tens of millions of poor who receive welfare benefits.

…

While welfare fraud committed by the poor appears to be low, the federal government has long recognized businesses being the true criminals.

…

While these are some of the better known examples of large scale welfare fraud, they are not the only ones. The above cases alone represent over $25 Billion in welfare fraud recovery. The criminals having the greatest impact committing welfare fraud against the government are not the poor, but the privately owned businesses that take advantage of them.

Brett Favre Is The Welfare Queen Republicans Warned Us About

Updates:

Biggest Perpetrators of Welfare Fraud Are Private Companies, Not ‘Welfare Queens’

America’s Remarkable Unwillingness to Support Its Veterans

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Andrea Mazzarino explores how so many of the American military personnel dispatched to fight it and the rest of the disastrous Global War on Terror have suffered until this very day, while this country largely turned its back, leaving them in the lurch.
America’s Remarkable Unwillingness to Support Its Veterans

Euthanasia Used in Canada to Get Rid of Poorest People

November 19, 2022November 19, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Euthanasia Used in Canada to Get Rid of Poorest People

Why is Canada euthanising the poor?

The problem is neoliberalism—or capitalism, whatever you want to call it! The government doesn’t want to spend more on healthcare (Medicare), welfare, or affordable housing—things that fiscal conservatives, and corporate democrats won’t fund! Yet, there’s always money for war!

‘There’s no way that patients are going to be able to afford that.’ Why aren’t new drugs that can help you lose weight more widely used?

October 9, 2022October 9, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

A pair of new drugs offer something many Americans desperately want: a way to lose weight.
‘There’s no way that patients are going to be able to afford that.’ Why aren’t new drugs that can help you lose weight more widely used?

“Ten years ago, policymakers would come out and say, ‘Fat people need to eat less and move more.’” – majority of people still feel this way, unfortunately. Most of them don’t know how hard it is to lose weight or if they have, they don’t understand that one weight loss plan may not work for another. Same way it is with medical treatments. One size fits all doesn’t fit all!

Biden Taps Anti-Social Security Ideologue To Oversee Program

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Biden nominated Andrew Biggs, a think tank denizen with a history of slamming Social Security, to oversee government retirement benefits for 66 million Americans.
Biden Taps Anti-Social Security Ideologue To Oversee Program

Biden Hikes Medicare Prices And Funnels Profits to Private Insurers

June 8, 2022June 8, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The largest-ever Medicare premium increase will pad the pockets of insurance executives who donated millions to the president’s election campaign.
Biden Hikes Medicare Prices And Funnels Profits to Private Insurers

Thailand Paid $45 Million in COVID Vaccine Injury Claims, While U.S. Has Paid $0

March 16, 2022March 16, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Thailand’s National Health Security Office as of March 8 paid the equivalent of $45.65 million to settle COVID-19 vaccine injury compensation claims under a system that is relatively easy to navigate, and quick to pay.
Thailand Paid $45 Million in COVID Vaccine Injury Claims, While U.S. Has Paid $0

H/T: The Most Revolutionary Act

Trump Created A Program To Privatize Medicare Without Patients’ Consent. Biden Is Keeping It Going.

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Under the program, insurers and doctors can negotiate to move patients to a private insurance stream. Patients don’t get a say.
Trump Created A Program To Privatize Medicare Without Patients’ Consent. Biden Is Keeping It Going.

Previously:

Congress ‘Asleep at the Switch’ as Biden Continues Trump-Era Ploy to Privatize Medicare

Biden moves forward with Trump Medicare privatization plan

Buzzfeed is a little behind (I first blogged about it, in November 2021), but here’s a reminder.

Medicare officials say costly Alzheimer’s drug to blame for large monthly jump in premium

November 14, 2021November 14, 2021 Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Medicare officials say costly Alzheimer’s drug to blame for large monthly jump in premium

The increase guarantees that health care will gobble up a big chunk of the recently announced Social Security cost-of-living allowance, a boost that had worked out to $92 a month for the average retired worker, intended to help cover rising prices for gas and food that are pinching seniors.

Cost and controversy are limiting use of new Alzheimer’s drug

How an Unproven Alzheimer’s Drug Got Approved