Families USA: Modernizing Public Benefit Eligibility During the Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID-19 has fundamentally altered American life and exposed longstanding deficiencies in our public benefit systems.

As part of our partnership with Families USA and the National Center for Coverage Innovation, CAMI supported an in-depth analysis of how we can achieve an efficient public benefit program meant for the 21st century now.

The report identifies a number of challenges that public benefit programs like food stamps, Medicaid and unemployment are facing that the pandemic has brought to greater light due to increased demand for public benefits. The report finds that these benefit programs have outdated workforce requirements that inhibit quick and accurate processing of applications and determination of eligibility. The report recommends that the administration and the Congress moderate or eliminate this requirement and modernize the operation of these programs.

There are a number of additional policy recommendations in the report. To download the full analysis and read the policy recommendations, click here.