Welfare, Medicaid recipients increase

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Tuesday, March 26, 2002 | 8:56 a.m.

The number of welfare recipients and Medicaid patients hit highs in February for the past 12 months, and state officials say they don't know if it will level off.

The state Welfare Division reported Monday there were 32,821 people receiving public assistance, up 6.5 percent from January. The caseload is 79 percent higher than in February 2001.

Those on Medicaid numbered 145,708, up 2.6 percent from January. Medicaid grew by 21 percent from February last year.

State Welfare Administrator Nancy Ford said the majority of the growth came after Sept. 11. She said the rate of growth has slowed in both welfare and Medicaid.

"At this time, it is too early to predict whether caseload growth will begin to level," she said. The Legislative Interim Finance Committee will meet April 10 to examine the figures and may have to dip into emergency funds that had been set aside to cover the growth.