Mandatory Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients Essay

The process of drug testing individuals who are applying or receiving welfare benefits has recently become the focus of a widely spread controversy. Florida, the first state to pass the law, now requires all individuals applying for public assistance to undergo drug testing. The state of Kentucky, among others, have considered following this trend. State lawmakers hope to prevent the squandering of taxpayer dollars on drugs by proposing similar guidelines. Alabama’s states representative Kerry Rich clearly affirmed his state’s position on the matter, â€Å"I don’t think the taxpayers should have to help fund somebody’s drug habit† (qtd. in Time). A decision to implement mandatory drug testing may be an imperative step for preventing welfare†¦show more content†¦Many question this policy. Worrying, the majority of people who are applying for state benefits may not have the ability to cover the upfront expense. Therefore, needy families would go without food. While there are many benefits to passing this law, we must consider the other possible problems and solutions as well. Selling food stamps for drugs is not the sole issue at hand. Welfare abuse comes in many forms. Until recent changes in identification verification practices by physicians and medical centers, Medicaid fraud was also an ongoing issue. People without medical coverage would often borrow the medical card of a friend or family member, and then go to a doctor or dentist. In other words, it was not diligent auditors or highly mandated policies that reduced Medicaid fraud. In fact, the meticulous works of insurance companies are responsible. Today, physician offices place a patient’s photograph in the chart. Verifying the patient’s identity helps certify insurance claims are filed on behalf of the actual member. As a result, the state’s Medicaid program benefited from this much-needed change. The more widely recognized form of welfare abuse, practiced for decades, occurs when people sell food stamps for cash. In the eighties food stamps were in the form of coupons and assigned a monetary value. It wasShow MoreRelatedMandatory Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients1526 Words   |  7 PagesBreez Arann Ms. Holiday English 12 11/04/15 Mandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients When the United States’ welfare program was created during the Great Depression, it was meant to temporarily relieve the burdens of the one-fourth of American families who were unemployed, and struggling financially. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Social Security Act in 1935, then amended it in 1939 to create programs to assist families with unemployment compensation, and to create government agenciesRead MoreMandatory Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients1613 Words   |  7 Pagestime-welfare reform. New screening processes, often considered a direct violation of constitutional rights, have already been enacted in many states. Strong evidence exists, asserting that the practice of administering drug testing to welfare recipients will cost the U.S. taxpayers more money in the long run, stigmatize applicants and participants, and serve only the purpose of making the pharmaceutical companies more powerful. In order to protect the constitutional rights of potential we lfare recipientsRead MoreMandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients and Public Assistance2064 Words   |  9 Pagestime again. The main topic of tax money is the use of assistance money and are the recipients really using the money for the right reasons. There are many problems with the assistance program but the one that comes to mind the most is that many people abuse the money given to buy the essentials and provide, for their family for illegal drugs. 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WhileRead MoreWelfare Drug Testing Persuasive Speech1704 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction a.i) Government assistance, or welfare, is a very broad term. There are many different welfare programs available in the United States e.g., food stamps, cash assistance, and government housing. Currently there is mass debate, in courtrooms across the U.S., regarding the legality and morality of pre-assistance drug testing. This report is intended to familiarize the reader with the history of welfare reform; the histories of drug testing in regards to assistance eligibility; and persuadeRead MoreDrug Testing Essay1200 Words   |  5 PagesThere is a big question floating in the air around a lot of people today, â€Å"Is drug testing the welfare constitutional or not?† When dealing with this we come to many road blocks. We should know and understand the difference in a drug use problem and a psychiatric disorder. Also understanding the difference in substance abuse and substance dependence. Confusing the two could be an issue. When you decide to drug test the welfare there is much more that needs to go into it than just the test to determineRead MoreShould Drug Testing Welfare Recipients? Essay1707 Words   |  7 Pagesuse of drugs is an immense problem in today’s society. The big question is, is it a problem within the welfare system? Drug use isn’t just a problem of poverty; it’s found among all groups and classes. As said in Jamelle Bouies article, The Myth of Drug Use and Welfare, â€Å"The myth of welfare recipients spending their benefits on drugs is just that—a myth. And indeed, in Utah, only 12 people out of 466—or 2.5 percent—showed evidence of drug use after a mandatory screening.† Drug te sting welfare recipientsRead MoreWelfare Drug Testing Should Not Be Allowed1416 Words   |  6 PagesAmericans on welfare, and the U.S spending over 131 billion on welfare annually, not including food stamps. People have been looking for a way to cut the costs of welfare for many years. And then Welfare drug testing was proposed. At initial thought it seemed like a grand idea and a great way to cut costs and to eliminate all the drug users in the system, and because of that welfare drug testing has been put into action in 13 states. But, welfare drug testing is completely ineffective. Welfare drug testing