Disability, Long-Term Care and Welfare

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End disability programs except Veterans Affairs disability including Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. Cancel the SSDI payroll tax including the SSDI trust fund. Create the MC disability program. Only adults excluding seniors are eligible. Disability payments are for those who cannot support themselves and, therefore, need financial assistance. Children are not expected to support themselves; therefore, they do not need financial assistance. If a child requires care services, parents or guardians may apply for long-term care, including home health care, assistance. Disability will be rated on a graduated scale from 0 to 100%. A minimum 40% disability will be required to receive benefits. The maximum benefit will be $10,000 per year including SIF. Savings in the cost of living will close the gap between proposed and current benefits. Grant added payments until the savings are realized. Standards and services will be reformed.

Responsibility for Medicaid long-term care will be turned over to MC. Set up an auction for long-term care services as was done for medical services. MC pays for care only. Individuals will pay for all expenses unrelated to care like food and facilities. Individuals may also pay part of the cost for home health care; for example, $10 per visit. A deductible of 10% of income may be assessed for long-term care costs separate from that for medical services.

Reorganize income security programs as follows. End most federal grants-in-aid. End many federal non-grant programs. Review federal grants to the private sector. End the current child tax credit and earned income tax credit (EITC). Abolish the federal minimum wage law. Implement the following instead. Create the supplemental income for families or SIF program. The SIF has no work requirement or marriage penalty. The SIF is designed to avoid a benefit phase-out “cliff” where benefits suddenly cease. Recipients are motivated by “cliffs” to keep their reported income below the levels where benefits end. The end of discrimination against two parent families by having no marriage penalty in the SIF should encourage more two parent families by eliminating the financial incentive for one parent families. All other things being equal, a two parent family is better able to support itself than a one parent family. For single parent families, enforce child support, garnishing the SIF from non-custodial parents if necessary. Reduce the cost of living; in particular, reform zoning laws to create affordable housing without government subsidies.

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