Importance of Social Welfare Policy
Developing an effective social welfare policy has long been one of the most important tasks for the federal and state governments in the United States. Well-developed and well-designed social policy usually seeks to improve the lives of people in the country and achieve a specific type of equality among all population segments. Social welfare policy in the United States operates at two levels: federal and state, with distinct strategies applied at each level. This paper aims to discuss the current state of social welfare policy, with a focus on the state level compared to the federal level, and analyze the types of social policies, as well as the strategies and approaches used to improve social and healthcare policies at the state level.
Federal and State Social Welfare Policy
Social welfare policy is defined and regulated by the Federal Government at the federal level. At the state level, social policies can be adapted or refined to better address state-specific problems and issues. Currently, state-level social welfare policy in the US focuses on improving people’s lives by promoting programs in areas such as housing, healthcare, social support, veterans’ welfare, homelessness, and others. The focus is on determining programs, regulations, and resources that can be applied to ensure a healthier and economically sustainable life in a particular state (McNutt & Hoefer, 2020). Although such rules and regulations are applied at both the federal and state levels, social welfare policy in states is usually grounded in more resources to meet citizens’ needs, and urgent social issues often accentuate areas where improvement of the existing policy is required.
Different types of social policy applied at the state level include education, healthcare, taxation, social security, empowerment, and housing programs. Each policy or program is applied in various ways in different states. For example, some states may have more stringent tax rules than others, which may include stricter rules for social security, but conversely, they may also have stricter rules for social security (McNutt & Hoefer, 2020). Most states are currently interested in resolving the issues associated with the life conditions of low-income and poor people and the problem of limited access to healthcare. The strategies they used include developing and adopting new regulations, as well as revising existing ones.
State-Level Health Policy Strategies
It is essential to note that state governments employ various strategies to regulate health policies. Such strategies aim to provide the best possible health care for the population. For instance, some states adopt insurance policies to regulate access to health care. Thus, many states have utilized Medicaid expansion, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and health insurance exchanges to expand healthcare coverage to more people.
Other states, such as California, have implemented their own public health insurance programs. Most states focus on creating programs that can help reduce the cost of health care. These programs offer incentives to providers to guarantee affordable, high-quality care (McNutt & Hoefer, 2020). Additionally, some states have passed laws protecting individuals with certain conditions from discrimination.
Finally, states have also implemented various telehealth initiatives to expand access to care in rural areas. Social welfare policy is currently realized in the United States at both the federal and state levels. For states, developing and adopting effective social and healthcare policies presents an opportunity to improve the social situation in communities. Social welfare policies adopted by states are oriented toward resolving local and state-related issues and problems.
Reference
McNutt, J. G., & Hoefer, R. (2020). Social welfare policy: Responding to a changing world (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.