Trapped in America's Safety Net

during the Great Recession that began in 2007, Arizona not only closed off CHIP enrollment to new children but also reduced the time limit for TANF from sixty months to thirty-six. Massachusetts cut adult dental care in its Medicaid program, as noted earlier. The State of Washington reduced cash grants in its Disability Lifeline program for the physically and mentally disabled. Pennsylvania reduced its state SSI supplement. Mississippi slashed its mental health budget. South Carolina reduced Medicaid hospital payments by 7 percent and physicians’ reimbursements by 10 percent. 62 The list of social assistance cuts goes on and on. 63 Such reductions reinforce downturns, making recessions even worse, whereas policy responsiveness would dictate greater, countercyclical spending to meet increased need.