Receipt of Federal Income Support by Eligible Low-Birth-Weight Infants

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Health Economics

Background:

• Many infants with low birth weight (LBW) are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
• Evidence is needed on SSI benefit receipt among LBW infants, particularly those from disadvantaged households.
• Understanding disparities in benefit access is crucial for equitable social support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess SSI receipt among LBW-eligible infants.
• To evaluate the targeting of SSI benefits to LBW and income-eligible infants.
• To examine how SSI receipt varies with county-level socioeconomic disadvantage.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using administrative data (SSI, vital records, American Community Survey).
• Population-based sample of 185,920 LBW infants born 2012-2018 in 482 US counties.
• Poisson regression models to analyze SSI receipt by county socioeconomic measures (poverty, income, education).

Main Results:

• Only 38% of LBW-eligible infants received SSI.
• SSI receipt was higher in more socioeconomically disadvantaged counties based on poverty and income.
• Among likely income-eligible infants, SSI receipt decreased as county disadvantage increased (65% adjusted receipt).

Conclusions:

• Most LBW infants eligible for SSI do not receive benefits.
• Equitable access to SSI is limited for income-eligible infants in disadvantaged areas.
• Enhanced outreach and simplified application processes are needed to ensure fair access to social safety nets.