THIRD STATEWIDE WELFARE

CONFERENCE

A RIL 14th & 15th


The Ohio Empowerment Coalition's third annual statewide welfare conference promises to be the best OEC conference yet. Mark your calendar now to attend April 14th & 15th at the Lenox Inn, located 12 miles east of Columbus, Ohio. Day One will be Lobby Day with meetings with -our state legislators, and Keynote speakers & Reception in the evening.

Day Two will offer a variety of workshops to select from, including National and State Welfare Reform, Recipients' Rights, Sanctions/Terminations, Child Care, Medicaid, and Education & Job Training. Other topics include How to Organize, Alternative Media, How a Bill Becomes Law, among others.

Cost to attend the Conference is free to low-income individuals; $25.00 to non low-income individuals.

Hotel rooms are Single $48.00 and Doubles $53.00 (children free). Call the Lenox Inn at I800-821-0007. Reserve your room under the Welfare Empowerment Conference. Rooms must be reserved by March 26th.

Limited scholarships may be available for low-income individuals. You may request a scholarship in writing by sending a brief letter of request stating why you want to attend the conference. Send to: Contact Center, 1641 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45210. Decisions will be made by the Conference Scholarship Committee.

To register for the conference, fill out the enclosed registration form and mail to: Contact Center, 1641 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio 452 10. For more information call the Contact Center at (513) 381- 4242.

 

HEALTH CARE FOR

THE WORKING POOR


Ann, who left welfare (including Medicaid coverage) for a job, shared her thoughts about her job versus being on welfare. "I don't know what I'll do if I get really sick and need hospital care. Or how I'll afford even routine screenings. If s so expensive. Fortunately, I've been in good health so far but now I'm getting older. It worries me what I'll do if a health emergency hits. My job doesn't cover health insurance and I can't afford to pay for it out of my low salary."

Approximately 50% of the low-income working poor lack health insurance. These numbers could be reduced if Ohio would make changes in conjunction with the Medicaid rule changes brought about by the 1996 federal welfare law. The federal law now permits states to allow low-income individuals to be eligible for Medicaid. The 1996 federal law - separated the link between Medicaid and welfare. States can now allow individuals to apply for Medicaid even if they are not applying for welfare cash assistance. However, in Ohio, this federal policy has not been implemented. We ask, why not?



In Ohio, Ohio Works First (welfare recipients) are automatically eligible for Medicaid. After they leave welfare for a paid job, they are eligible for one year of Transitional Medicaid, depending on their income level. For the first six months on Transitional Medicaid they are eligible regardless of income level. After six months on, they can remain eligible for another -six months of Transitional Medicaid if their
income is below 150% of the poverty level. Federal law allows up to 185% of poverty level.

 After twelve months of transitional Medicaid, former recipients are no longer eligible for Medicaid in Ohio. Considering the three year time limit in Ohio, almost all recipients will lose their Medicaid eligibility. This does not need to happen. Other states are extending the Transitional Medicaid period and allowing low-income working people, both welfare and non-welfare recipients, to be eligible for Medicaid. Ohio needs to change current policies and seize this golden opportunity to allow more poor & low-income adults to have health insurance.

Because federal law has separated eligibility requirements for welfare and Medicaid, it should be easier to get Medicaid. This is one good thing that came out of the 1996 federal -law- Also, within the last year, the discriminatory policies against two- parent families to get Medicaid were ended. This is another victory at the federal level for welfare & health care advocates & recipients.

Because of the federal Medicaid changes, children of low-income parents can now receive health care under CHIP. In Ohio children can be eligible in households with incomes up to 150% of the poverty line or approximately $20,000 per year for a family of three. Pregnant women are also eligible for Medicaid up to 133% of poverty. Federal Medicaid changes now allow both children and pregnant women to be covered at even higher income levels. However, it's up to the states to accept these changes.

It makes more sense to assist people with preventative health care than having them later show up at emergency room doors because they couldn't afford early-stage treatment. Health care should be a basic right for all people, not just the affluent. It is basically an issue of valuing human lives.

(Information Sources: Families USA Foundation and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)
 

"`TIS THE MONTH AFTER

CHRISTMAS"

by Vera Zlatkin


'Tis the month after Christmas and the New

Year is here

But the outlook is bleak for poor folk this year

Welfare "reform" is making life even harder

For poor single "Moms" and their sons and

their daughters.

Young mothers with jobs are losing child can

Without which some are forced to go on

welfare.

The elderly poor and disabled and ill,

Are losing their benefits and their rights to

appeal.

With money being denied to the poor and

neglected

Many can't pay their rent and are therefore

evicted.

The United States Congress, and also State

Houses

Boast, 'The numbers on welfare are down"

but those louses

Didn't check homeless shelters, don't care that

they're full

And that people are desperate, with no place to

go.

Real people are dying, the young and the old. Real people are hurting, are hungry and cold.

Welfare "reform" is a disaster it's clear. Let's work to change it, and have a compassionate New Year.

(Vera, who is well known for her poetry writings, is currently living in St. Louis, Missouri. She is helping to care for her infant grand-daughter. She reports that welfare &'reform" is hurting families and individuals in her section of the country.)

  



        TAX FACTS



Corporate welfare for 1995-19% cost over $167 billion, while Aid to Families with Dependent Children (now TANF) for the same period cost only $14 billion, with two-thirds of the AFDC recipients being children. ("The Progressive")

The Pentagon spends $67.4 million per day to prepare for nuclear war. (Center for Defense Information)

In 1991, 37% of U.S. citizens with assets exceeding $1 million paid no federal taxes. (National Catholic Reporter, 2/7/97)

OHIO EMPOWERMENT

COALITION

MARCH 9/TUESDAY

12:30

at Sullivant Gardens

955 Remick St.

Columbus, OH

(Call Contact Center 513-3814242

for information)


STRIVING FOR A COLLEGE DEGREE DESPITE WELFARE OBSTACLES

by Katie Green


My name is Katie Green. I am a single parent of five sons. I attend college full time at the University of Cincinnati. I am working on an Associates degree in Early Childhood Education. I have two classes a day five days a week and I'm expected to observe at Artlitt Child Care Center for a total of 7 hours per quarter and another 6 hours for another class. I need to spend time in the computer labs on campus because I do not have a computer at home in order to type up my papers for class. There are times when I have to stay on campus in order to get tutorial help in writing revisions and also help with math. I do most of my studying at home when I can get a quiet moment or two. My children are involved in activities at school that I need to attend from time to time, whether or not it be for disciplinary reasons or special programs.

I am in my second year of this. I am on public assistance and currently enrolled in the EARN program Ohio Works First. Along with everything else I am required to work at an EARN site for 25 hours a week or be sanctioned and loose my financial benefit of $523 for a family of six to live on for the month. With $523 1 have to pay rent, utilities, buy food until my Direction card gets updated on the 8th working day of the month.

Out of what I have left, I must do laundry, pay for transportation for my sons to get to practice and to the library. For myself, I also must get back & forth to school.

By the time I get home in the evenings, my children are waiting to be fed and get help with their homework. They want to talk with me about the events of the day. By the time we get through studying, it's time for bed and we have spent about two hours of quality time while swallowing down our food.

Then comes the next day with the same set of duties. My objective is to get my degree and go to work fulltime. I want to get off the "System" altogether. Ohio Works First does not permit me to accomplish this is in an appropriate time span. It's very frustrating to me that I can get the money to go to school but I'm not allotted the time to complete school in an appropriate period of time. If I follow the guidelines of Ohio Works First, it would take me almost five years to complete a two year degree.

If recipients such as myself could be allowed to count two full years of post-secondary education or vocational education as our work, we could reach our goal in a more expeditious time. We must push for the Wellstone Amendment, sponsored by U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. Although this Amendment was defeated, I can't give up hope that this Amendment will be brought back to the Congress. It must be recognized as a tool that would really help us to divorce ourself from the welfare system once and for all.

WELFARE RIGHTS COALITION

MONTHLY MEETINGS