Social Security programs in the United States.

This is the latest in a series of reports of the same title that have been published intermittently since the early 1960’s. The term social security is popularly used in the United States to refer to the basic national social insurance program-old-age, survivors, disability, and health insurance. The term is used here in a broader sense to describe all types of social insurance, social assistance, and related programs. Thus, this description provides the history and current program provisions of this country’s social insurance systems: old-age, survivors, and disability insurance; Medicare; unemployment insurance; workers’ compensation; and temporary disability insurance. It describes the major means-tested assistance programs-supplemental security income, aid to families with dependent children, Medicaid, and food stamps-as well as the smaller programs such as low-income home energy assistance, public housing, the school lunch program, and general assistance. Finally, it includes three programs for members of special groups: veterans, public employees, and railroad employees. The report provides a layman’s guide to the Nation’s network of publicly funded cash and in-kind income maintenance programs and the health insurance and medical assistance programs of the Social Security Act. It does not describe the many services provided by the Federal Government and the States to beneficiaries of these programs and to others. Nor does it describe the important system of private retirement and disability pensions. Nancy Miller of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Legislative and Regulatory Policy is responsible for the chapter on the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program. Wilmer Kerns of the Office of Research, Statistics, and International Policy (ORSIP) is responsible for the Medicare chapter, the section on means-tested programs, and the chapter on veterans’ benefits. Daniel Price, of ORSIP, is author of the chapters on unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and temporary disability insurance. And Ann Kallman Bixby, also of ORSIP, is responsible for the chapters on public employee programs and railroad retirement benefits. Much appreciation is expressed to the many individuals and agencies who reviewed and checked the accuracy of the chapters relating to their particular interests.