What Provisions Of The Social Security Act Are Related To Health Care?

An OPEN MINDS Market Intelligence Report

This Market Intelligence Report from the OPEN MINDS team discusses the provisions of the Social Security Act (SSA).  The Act was first enacted in 1935 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was conceived as a way for the federal government to provide benefits for the elderly. It also helps the states to provide care for the elderly, disabled, and dependent children – as well as maternal and child welfare services, public health services, and the administration of unemployment compensation laws.

Since 1935, the SSA has continued to be amended, with new provisions to care for different populations and provide additional services. Most of the major health care and social service programs in the United States are authorized through provisions of the SSA, including Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, child welfare programs, unemployment services, and disability insurance, among others.

The SSA is currently made up of 21 titles, each authorizing different programs and types of funding – all related to providing health care and social support services for citizens. There are three titles in the Social Security Act that directly relate to how publicly funded health care services are delivered. The programs outlined in these titles govern how both the federal government and states implement publicly funded health care coverage. These titles include:
Title XIX: Grants to States for Medical Assistance Programs – Outlines the rules and provisions for state Medicaid programs
Title XVIII: Health Insurance For The Aged & Disabled – Outlines the rules and provisions of the federal Medicare program
Title XXI: State Children’s Health Insurance Program – Outlines the provisions for states to implement health insurance coverage for children and pregnant women who do not qualify for Medicaid

This report answers a number of questions related to the SSA and how its provisions coincide with health care including:

1. What is the Social Security Act?
2. What are the provisions of the Social Security Act?
3. What provisions of the Social Security Act are related to health care?
4. What provisions of the Social Security Act provide child welfare services?