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 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Helping Oregonians help themselves and investing in local communities to put Oregon back to work
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Other important nationwide ARRA investments in Human Services
- Increase in food stamp benefits of more than 13 percent.
- A 65 percent subsidy for COBRA premiums for unemployed workers up to nine months after job loss.
- $100 million for formula grants to states for elderly nutrition services including Meals on Wheels.
- $150 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program to purchase commodities for food banks to refill emptying shelves.
- $5.0 billion Emergency Contingency Fund for State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs.
- $2 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant to help low-income working families.
- $680 million for Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research.
- $19 billion to accelerate adoption of Health Information Technology (HIT) systems.
- $1 billion for a new Prevention and Wellness Fund.
- $120 million for Community Service Employment for Older Americans.
Overview
Human services programs are an important economic engine because of the services and goods purchased with the dollars they bring into a local community.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will provide a much needed injection of federal dollars into Oregon’s economy and human services, mostly by increased federal matching funds for Medicaid programs.
Here’s how it works:
- Medicaid programs are a partnership between states and the federal government, with the feds paying the largest portion; states do not receive the federal funds at all unless they make the initial investments. In other words, states pay the money for health care and other Medicaid services and the federal government “matches” our investment plus some.
- Nationally, ARRA provides an estimated $87 billion over the next two years in additional federal matching funds to help states maintain their Medicaid programs.
- These increased investments will help meet some of the budget shortfalls in Oregon caused by skyrocketing demand for economic supports such as food stamps, cash assistance and health care for the newly unemployed but will also help protect local economies.
In 2006, for example, Oregon DHS was responsible for one-third of the health care and social assistance portion of the state gross domestic product.
Learn more about DHS’s impact on Oregon’s economy:
ARRA's health and human services investments in Oregon
Review the breakdown of ARRA's investments in Oregon and contact information for people at the state and federal level who can answer your questions.
The Oregon Way
 Review other economic recovery efforts in Oregon.
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