ICYMI: Here’s What People Are Saying About Rep. Schiff’s Innovative “Guaranteed Additional Income for Families in Need” (GAIN) Act
Washington, D.C.— This week, Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) introduced the Guaranteed Additional Income for Families in Need (GAIN) Act, which would provide low income families with regular cash payments, providing financial security and improving adverse health outcomes associated with income volatility. Schiff’s innovative bill has received wide coverage for its forward thinking ideas on guaranteed income and cost savings on healthcare.
See some of the coverage of Schiff’s GAIN Act below:
ABC 7: Panel Discusses Rep. Schiff's New Guaranteed Income Proposal
“Yeah, I think it's a good idea. I mean, we have been talking about it for years and they're, you know, these are tough times for most wage earners.”
“[...] I mean, not to mention people who are living on fixed incomes, people who are low income, the elderly people on public assistance. So yeah, yeah, prices keep going up, Dan. But you know, for a lot of people, their income isn't going up.”
“No, it's true. Inflation has just been brutal for so so many people and coming out of a pandemic as well. You know, as long as we can find a way to pay for it that makes sense. Totally. And $500 goes a long way for many families.”
“[...] And it can just relieve enough financial pressure to make a real difference.”
As Americans struggle with rising costs, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. is making a pitch to help put more dollars in some of the lowest income Americans while cutting costs of federal healthcare spending.
In a copy of the bill first obtained by Spectrum News, the Guaranteed Additional Income for Families in Need Act, or GAINS Act, proposes the creation of 10 pilot programs in cities across the country that would give participants an extra $500 a month to help them make ends meet. Over the course of five years, the pilot program would collect research as to whether the cash payments improved the health outcomes among the participants. The only stipulation would be that the recipients of the cash be enrolled in Medicaid, the government program that provides health insurance for individuals and their families with limited income.
Newsweek: Thousands of Americans to Get $500 Monthly Payments Under New Plan
"The targeted distribution laid out in the GAIN Act makes sure those who need support can get it," she said. "Direct aid pilot programs have shown that most people spend the additional income on child care, food, and rent, freeing up families to actually escape the cycle of poverty."
Specifically, the GAIN Act would:
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Establish a minimum of 10 guaranteed income demonstration programs in cities and states throughout the US.
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Provide participating Medicaid beneficiaries with at least $500 in cash payments each month for five years.
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Monitor and record how the cash payments impact health outcomes among participants over the duration of these demonstration programs to help determine how guaranteed income can be used to improve health outcomes in the future.
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