美国六分之一人口靠政府救济生存

奥巴马承认美国六分之一人口靠政府救济

来源：《今日美国报》  USA Today  8月30日

推荐理由：自金融危机爆发以来，美国失业率达到10%且居高不下，经济衰退导致更多人生活困难、达到救济标准。美国民众已有六分之一靠政府救济，创下历史纪录，而且还在继续增加。失业福利开支、政府粮食券开支、联邦和各州共同为贫民设立的医疗补助计划开支均大幅增加，这给美国本已困窘的财政进一步增加了负担，但也是维护社会稳定的不得已之举。

         美国总统奥巴马8月30日承认，美国经济仍为脱困而挣扎，许多美国人为找工作正焦头烂额。经济衰退导致更多人生活困难，政府的扶贫计画也随之扩大。美国民众已有六分之一接受政府救济，创下空前纪录，而且还在继续增加。

　　最近连串政府报告显示经济复苏缓慢，并有再次落入衰退之虞。奥巴马8月30日与经济团队会晤后，在白宫玫瑰园简报美国经济。奥巴马矢言将减轻对中产阶级的经济伤害，并推动美国人就业。他说，考虑中的措施包括尽快对小企业减税或提供抵税额度。

　　《今日美国报》指出，美国已有超过5000万人参加联邦和各州共同为贫民设立的医疗补助计画(Medicaid)，比2007年12月经济开始衰退时至少增加17%，而且根据新的健保法，到2014年还会再增加大约1600万人。

　　健康管理公司的史密斯表示：“几乎每个医疗补助计画主任都会说，目前参加人数历来最高。”该计画不断扩充，将使看诊量已达饱和的医生更为吃力。

　　政府资料显示，过去三年使用粮食券的人节节上升，总数已超过4000万人，比经济衰退前增加将近50%。

　　随著更多人符合资格，接受各种福利救济的人愈来愈多。

　　美国现有将近1000万人接受失业福利救济，几乎是2007年的四倍。原来的基本救济期限为26周，可是国会已八度加以延长，使得长期失业者最多可以领取99周福利金。今年1月接受失业福利者更创下接近1200万人的空前纪录。

有440万人接受一般福利救济，比经济衰退前增加18%。

有人甚至认为，六分之一的美国人接受政府的援助，可能还是最保守的数字，这还是假定政府为贫民参加医疗补助计划的5000万人口与领取食品券的4000万人口、接受失业福利救济的1000万人口出现交叉的推断，如果这些人口有一部分没有同时享受两种或以上的援助，那么，接受政府援助的人口实际上超过了六分之一。

　　随著各种福利救济需求激增，政府开销也暴涨。联邦对医疗补助计画的开支两年来跃增36%，达到2730亿元。失业福利开支从430亿元暴增至1600 亿元。粮食券开支增加80%，达到700亿元。一般福利救济开支增加24%，达到220亿元。这些福利计画整体开支已超过联邦医疗保险 (Medicare)。

　　社会安全网计画需求和开支不断增加，主要是两个因素所致：经济衰退使更多人合乎救济资格，以及白宫、国会和各州扩大救济资格和福利。

　　保守派担心社会安全网计画不断扩大，等经济恢复成长将易放难收。但是反贫穷专家认为，接受政府救济的人数创新高，是在经济困难时期的必要回应。预算与政策优先中心的莱丹娜‧派维迪(LaDonna Pavetti)说：“经济无法支撑民众时，政府应帮助民众渡难关。”

英文原文：http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-08-30-1Asafetynet30_ST_N.htm

Record number in government anti-poverty programs （接受政府救济的人口创纪录）

By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY August 30, 2010

WASHINGTON — Government anti-poverty programs that have grown to meet the needs of recession victims now serve a record one in six Americans and are continuing to expand.

More than 50 million Americans are on Medicaid, the federal-state program aimed principally at the poor, a survey of state data by USA TODAY shows. That's up at least 17% since the recession began in December 2007.

"Virtually every Medicaid director in the country would say that their current enrollment is the highest on record," says Vernon Smith of Health Management Associates, which surveys states for Kaiser Family Foundation.

The program has grown even before the new health care law adds about 16 million people, beginning in 2014. That has strained doctors. "Private physicians are already indicating that they're at their limit," says Dan Hawkins of the National Association of Community Health Centers.

More than 40 million people get food stamps, an increase of nearly 50% during the economic downturn, according to government data through May. The program has grown steadily for three years.

Caseloads have risen as more people become eligible. The economic stimulus law signed by President Obama last year also boosted benefits.

"This program has proven to be incredibly responsive and effective," says Ellin Vollinger of the Food Research and Action Center.

Close to 10 million receive unemployment insurance, nearly four times the number from 2007. Benefits have been extended by Congress eight times beyond the basic 26-week program, enabling the long-term unemployed to get up to 99 weeks of benefits. Caseloads peaked at nearly 12 million in January — "the highest numbers on record," says Christine Riordan of the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for low-wage workers.

More than 4.4 million people are on welfare, an 18% increase during the recession. The program has grown slower than others, causingBrookings Institution expert Ron Haskins to question its effectiveness in the recession.

As caseloads for all the programs have soared, so have costs. The federal price tag for Medicaid has jumped 36% in two years, to $273 billion. Jobless benefits have soared from $43 billion to $160 billion. The food stamps program has risen 80%, to $70 billion. Welfare is up 24%, to $22 billion. Taken together, they cost more than Medicare.

The steady climb in safety-net program caseloads and costs has come as a result of two factors: The recession has boosted the number who qualify under existing rules. And the White House, Congress and states have expanded eligibility and benefits.

Conservatives fear expanded safety-net programs won't contract after the economy recovers. "They're much harder to unwind in the long term," says Michael Tanner of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

Other anti-poverty experts say the record caseloads are a necessary response to economic hardship. "We should be there to support people when the economy can't," says LaDonna Pavetti of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning think tank.