Mental disorders and service use among welfare and disability program participants in fee-for-service Medicaid.

Objective: In recent years, welfare caseloads have declined dramatically, leaving on the rolls recipients with mental disorders or other challenges that may affect their ability to work. This study identified Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients (that is, welfare recipients) who use mental health services, compared them with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, and estimated the number of TANF recipients who might qualify for SSI.

Methods: Based on data from the 2003 Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX) files from four states, this analysis included female Medicaid beneficiaries aged 19 to 64 in fee-for-service payment systems receiving SSI (N=65,303) or TANF (N=22,691).