Means-Tested Programs: Information on Program Access Can Be an Important Management Tool

Highlights

Federal agencies that administer means-tested programs are responsible for both ensuring that people have appropriate access to assistance and ensuring the integrity of the programs they oversee. To balance these two priorities appropriately, it is important for agencies to have information on program integrity and program access. Knowing the proportion of the population that qualifies for these programs relative to the numbers who actually participate can help ensure that agencies can monitor and communicate key information on program access. To better understand participation in low-income programs, this report provides information on: (1) the proportion of those eligible who are participating in 12 selected low-income programs; (2) factors that influence participation in those programs; and (3) strategies used by federal, state, and local administrators to improve both access and integrity, and whether agencies monitor access by measuring participation rates.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of Agriculture	As the department moves forward with participation rate estimates for the WIC program, the Secretary of Agriculture should take steps to clarify to users the limitations of the estimates.	Closed – Implemented The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) commissioned an expert panel of the National Research Council to review the method used to calculate the number of individuals eligible for the WIC program and to develop an improved methodology. The new estimates incorporate technical improvements and provide a more accurate picture of program coverage. New estimates have been in place since February 2006.
Department of Agriculture	As the department moves forward with participation rate estimates for the WIC program, the Secretary of Agriculture should compare between estimates by reanalyzing data as estimation methodologies change, so that consistent methods are applied over time.	Closed – Implemented The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) completed revisions to the methods and assumptions used to estimate the number of people who are income-eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The estimates using the new methodology were calculated for 1994 through 2003 and provide USDA with estimates that are consistent over a substantial time period and comparable over time. The Department anticipates using the same approach to develop updated estimates.
Department of Education	To help ensure that agencies have information on program access, the Secretaries of Education and HUD should study the feasibility of calculating participation or coverage rates and including them in key program management reports.	Closed – Implemented The Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) completed a study examining the feasibility of implementing a student unit record system that could provide Education with certain information on every student enrolled in postsecondary education, which could be used to help calculate Pell Grant program participation rates, but such a system has not been established.
Department of Housing and Urban Development	To help ensure that agencies have information on program access, the Secretaries of Education and HUD should study the feasibility of calculating participation or coverage rates and including them in key program management reports.	Closed – Implemented The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Public and Indian Housing has estimated coverage rates for the Section 8 and Public Housing programs included in the Public and Indian Housing rental assistance programs under two sets of assumptions. The table showing these estimates provides information on the limitations of the estimates. The table was included in the appendix to the Seventh Annual Report to Congress on Public Housing and Rental Assistance Programs.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should consider making some improvements to the participation and coverage rate information produced for the CCDF, Medicaid, SCHIP, and TANF programs, such as quantifying errors that result from calculating these estimates to help users better understand the accuracy of the data.	Closed – Implemented HHS reported that it has taken several steps to improve its participation and coverage rate estimates and was reviewing the possibility of making additional enhancements to its Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) estimates. Work was also underway to improve estimates of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility and participation, and participation in various programs by immigrants. With regard to quantifying errors, HHS noted that not all errors can be quantified, but stated that the agency was considering ways in which to provide information that will help users better understand the accuracy of the data used to calculate participation and coverage rates.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should consider making some improvements to the participation and coverage rate information produced for the CCDF, Medicaid, SCHIP, and TANF programs, such as ensuring, to the extent possible, that estimates are comparable over time.	Closed – Implemented HHS considered making improvements in their participation and coverage rate estimates and stated that there is value in ensuring that estimates are, to the extent possible, comparable over time, but after consideration, the agency concluded that it places a higher priority on investing in model enhancements to improve current estimates rather than devoting substantial resources to retroactively adjust prior estimates for the sake of consistency. It does, however, continue to provide technical assistance to improve data collection and reporting.
Internal Revenue Service	As the IRS moves forward on developing participation rate estimates to use as a program performance measure for the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service should take steps to quantify errors that may result from estimating these participation rates to help users better understand the accuracy of the data and ensure that estimates will be comparable over time.	Closed – Implemented As of December 12, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and The Census Bureau completed the tax year 2005 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) participation rate estimates using linked Census and IRS data. The new estimate of EITC participation used an enhanced methodology which is more informed and comprehensive than past studies due to the availability of additional data. The methodology, including the data limitation and modeling assumptions, were documented. This study will be repeated for tax year 2006 with updated information by late 2009; an estimate for tax year 2007 will be completed when additional information is available.
Social Security Administration	To help ensure that the agency has information on program access, the Commissioner of SSA should consider the feasibility of providing participation rate information (from the existing source or another source) in SSA program management reports.	Closed – Implemented SSA has considered the feasibility of providing participation rates and has come to the conclusion that the Current Population Survey cannot be used to estimate SSI participation rates. Because the Census Bureau has discontinued the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the agency's preferred source of data for this type of estimate, the agency has concluded that a suitable data source is not available to estimate participation rates.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should include participation and coverage rate estimates in key program reports for the CCDF, Medicaid, SCHIF, and TANF programs.	Closed – Not Implemented In 2005, HHS reported that it had no plans to include program participation and coverage rate estimates in key program reports beyond what has been done in the past. In 2009, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) reported that it plans no activity at this time.
Department of Health and Human Services	The Secretary of HHS should study the feasibility of estimating the coverage rate for the Head Start program on a regular basis and include these estimates in key Head Start program reports.	Closed – Implemented The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) reported that it considered the feasibility of estimating the coverage rate for the Head Start program but that the Office of Head Start (OHS) concluded that OHS cannot do this with any degree of accuracy due to a number of factors, including: 1) in addition to children in families with incomes below the poverty line, Head Start children from families receiving public assistance are categorically eligible, 2) determining if pre-school Head Start children are being referred to, or all children not in kindergarten (e.g., Early Head Start), and 3) and new authority in the Head Start Act to allow programs to serve up to 35% of their enrollment from families between 100-130% of the poverty line adds another dimension.

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