Question

The poverty rate would be substantially lower if the market value of in-kind transfers were added to family income. The largest in-kind transfer is Medicaid, the government health program for the poor. Suppose the program costs $10,000 per recipient family. True or False: If the government gave each recipient family a $10,000 check instead of enrolling them in the Medicaid program, most of these families likely would spend that amount of money on health insurance. True False True or False: This result suggests that we should value in-kind transfers at the price the government pays for them in determining the poverty rate. True False Because the benefit of Medicaid to its recipients is likely than its cost, it to give the poor cash transfers instead.

Answer 1

Answer: False; False; True.

Step-by-step explanation:

a. False.

If the government gave every recipient family a $10,000 check rather than enrolling them in the Medicaid program, majority of the families would not spend the money on health insurance. The money will rather be spent on foods that the customer hasn't reached a satiation point in e.g foods, housing etc.

b. False.

We should determine poverty rate by valuing the in-kind transfers at the price which the family would have paid for the same amount of the good not taking into consideration of how the family spend the cash transfer.

c. True.

The poor would be better off in situations where they receive cash transfer rather than in-kind transfer. They could spend the cash on things apart from medical care. The poor value other things more than the health insurance and would be better off with the cash.