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KyLee McKellar
English 2010 Report
August 4, 2015, 2015

The System that is Being Abused

A rise in the number of persons on welfare has lit a fire of fury in many (meaning a lot of
people are upset of it), and has led to the controversial subject and point of this report. All
recipients of welfare should have mandatory drug tests before receiving benefits. Due to my
research Ive noticed thats one of the main reasons why people are so angry, because welfare
recipients to the naked eye are all on drugs and forcing doctors out of work due to the fact they
can hardly afford keeping their practice alive anymore.
In this report well see more into the life of a medical worker, and how welfare recipients
cause a bit of a headache on the whole medical system. Working in a medical office, I have
witnessed the effects of patients abusing welfare, and causing a financial burden in our medical
practice. Ive seen meth addicts come in with their teeth rotten, begging for pain medications and
claiming something is wrong with them. Listening to these patients lie filled pleas takes time
away from patients who truly need the help of a physician. Which is who really are suffering
from this rise in welfare patients seeking help that isnt needed or is drug related.
Which brings us to the true topic of this report- that those who are using the welfare
benefits need to be drug tested before receiving medical care. If they pass, they get the medical
help they need and welfare pays for it. If they fail, they are discarded from welfare; but are still
treated with the medical care they need, they just need to be accountable for payment.

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The chart above shows that at least 17.5% of drug users are unemployed, and usually
those who are unemployed are on welfare. As medical professional I, as well as all the other
healthcare professionals have a duty to help those in need and give them the proper medical
attention, no matter what they pay. But doesnt it just sound wrong and unfair to treat those who
are abusing the system? Addicts, who have no job, lean on the welfare system when they get
injured or sick and abuse it.
Proper way to use the welfare system is for those who are truly in need of it. These
addicts who have no job are the ones causing the financial stress for medical professionals, and
causing anger in so many fellow Americans. It is our tax dollars that fund for them to be treated
for drug related illnesses or injuries, and they dont have to pay a dime. They just expect to ride
the coat tails of American citizens and are the main cause for the financial breaking point, doctor
shortage, and enraged country, due to their careless actions. Again, the common opinion of the
average American is to drug test each welfare user before receiving medical care, and discarded
from the welfare system if they fail. We shouldnt have to pay for their medical expenses if they

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are drug addicts abusing the system that was meant to help Americans who are truly in need of
help.

The bar graph shows abusers vs. non-abusers and how apparent their visits are to the ER.
As you can see, overall abusers are being seen more frequently in the ER. Also take into account
that 20% of each bar is welfare patients. The financial effect on helping those with welfare is
that the medical office only receives 40% of the money owed for services rendered. This makes
it tough for the medical office to stay open, and help people in need when they cant even afford
to keep the lights on due to the massive number of welfare patients overflowing the system.
What we want to see as a medical professional group as a whole, is to see justice made
and have mandatory drug tests done. It would de-clog the welfare system of addicts abusing the
system, and make it easier for doctors and hospitals to compensate for the already existing
welfare patients. Which truly need the help, and who are genuinely trying to better their lives.
And since we are having this overflow of welfare patients, doctors are becoming afraid of the

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future. Statistics show that many doctors are closing their practice doors and retiring due to the
fact of just not being able to afford it anymore. They dont even make half of the money owed
for services rendered and because of that, theyre going broke. Plus, we see a lot of people
shying away from the medical field now a days because they are afraid of what the future holds
for medical professionals. If things keep going the way they are, The Association of Medical
Colleges states that we could very well have a doctor shortage by 2020 due to all thats going on
right now.

The graph above shows the shortage of doctors that is continually growing over the years,
as well as the pay that these doctors receive. Each doctor, under each specialty, earns a certain
amount of money each year. The amount you see is before taxes, before paying bills and before
paying their staff. With that being said it all depends on how large of a staff they have. With the
average patient, insurance pays 80% and the patient is responsible for the other 20%. But in
welfare patients, welfare pays only 40% and the patient isnt responsible for anything else. The

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continuous amount of patients on welfare and only receiving less than half of what is owed;
doctors are being forced into retirement, and less people want to go to college to become a
doctor, which in return leads to the doctor shortage displayed above. We have to do something.
To avoid this doctor shortage that is predicted in our near future, the best solution is to
decrease the number of persons on welfare. By that, mandatory drug tests should be performed
before receiving healthcare benefits. If they pass, they receive the medical care they need and not
have to worry about the rest due to their situation of being on welfare. But- if they fail, they still
will be treated for the medical care they need but they will be in charge of payment, and be
discarded from the welfare system.

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Work Cited:
Program, Sububstance Abuse Policy Research. Key Research Findings. n.d.
http://www.saprp.org/pm_keyResFind.cfm. 15 July 2015.
BRYCE COVERT, & JOSH ISRAEL. What 7 States Discovered After Spending More
Than $1 Million Drug Testing Welfare Recipients. 15th February 2015. 22nd June 2015.
<http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/02/26/3624447/tanf-drug-testing-states/>.
Harold A. Pollack, Ph.D.,. Substance Abuse Policy Research. n.d.
http://www.saprp.org/pm_keyResFind.cfm. 22nd June 2015.
Chandler, D., and Meisel, J. Alcohol and Other Drug, Mental Health, and Domestic
Violence Issues: Effects on Employment and Welfare Tenure After One Year. Sacramento, CA:
California Institute for Mental Health. July 15, 2015
Grant, B.F., and Dawson, D.A. Alcohol and drug use, abuse, and dependence among
welfare recipients. American Journal of Public Health 86:14501454. July 15, 2015
Jayakody, R.; Danziger, S.; and Pollack, H. Welfare reform, substance use and mental
health. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 25:623651. July 15, 2015
Morgenstern, J.; Riordan, A.; McCrady, B.S.; et al. Intensive Case Management Improves
Welfare Clients Rates of Entry and Retention in Substance Abuse Treatment. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

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Schmidt, L.; Weisner, C.; and Wiley, J. Substance abuse and the course of welfare
dependency. American Journal of Public Health 88:16161622.