Rebuilding the social safety net is in everyone’s interest

Abstract:

When healthcare systems and not-for-profit social service providers step up to provide food, housing and transportation assistance to needy patients, they often discover government cutbacks undermine their efforts. The U.S. spends less than other advanced industrial nations on social services—about 4% of gross domestic product. The average among other rich countries is around 10%.

Date Published: October 24, 2019

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Modern Healthcare

This analysis of California’s state budget from 2007 to 2018 finds that to ensure the long-term health of the state, California needs to eliminate health care waste and direct the savings toward increased funding for programs that improve community conditions—like public education, public health, housing assistance, food assistance, and income support.