Extant Data Set Analyses

To answer the complex questions about the effect of welfare reform policies on women's and children's health, Finding Common Ground will conduct quantitative analyses of extant data sets. Our research questions will focus on the potential impact of TANF policies on: (1) health care access and utilization (including safety-net providers) and (2) health outcomes among women and children.

Specific questions that we seek to address include the following:

1) Access to health services utilization of health services: Has the proportion with health insurance changed in the welfare-eligible population? Has the recent increase in uninsurance resulted in a change in health care utilization by poor women and children? Are specific health services being over- or underutilized since welfare reform too affect?

(2) Health outcomes: What has been the impact on the health of women and children? Has there been an increase or decrease in certain conditions that may be sensitive to changes in health-care utilization, such as preterm delivery, asthma.