Medicaid and the Evolution of the U.S. Transfer System After the Great Recession

Robert Moffitt will extend his prior research on the responsiveness of the social safety net during the Great Recession, which found that spending from the government stimulus was spread more evenly across low-income families of all types—particularly for those at the very bottom of the income distribution—than welfare benefits prior to the recession.

His new research will explore the impact of Medicaid expenditures for low-income families. He will also investigate whether, after the end of the stimulus program, pre-recession safety net spending trends have resumed their previous course, stabilized, or continued their reversal. Are safety net resources once again being diverted away from the poorest?