October 22, 2024

Government

 USA Facts

  • Nearly 100 million Americans received some form of government assistance in 2019. In 2022, around one in three Americans — including nearly half of all American children — were enrolled in at least one of those programs. 
  • Some examples of governmental assistance programs include Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Social Security, Medicare, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the National School Lunch Program. People pay into some of these programs through payroll taxes, while others are funded with other government revenue sources. 

  • In 2022, nearly one in four Americans received Medicaid, while Medicare and Social Security covered around one in five. SNAP followed, offering benefits to 11.7% of Americans. 

  • These programs support different populations depending on their eligibility. Medicare covered 93.2% of people 65 and older, and Social Security covered 84.3%. The National School Lunch Program provided free or reduced-price lunches to 38.7% of the country’s children, equivalent to 8.8% of Americans. 

1 comment:

Walter Wouk said...

Correction: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is government assistance based on need. Social Security is, for all intents and purposes, an insurance policy paid for by individuals and their employers, Note: I am a former SSA employee.