Welfare Reform: Public Assistance Benefits Provided to Recently
Naturalized Citizens (Letter Report, 06/23/1999, GAO/HEHS-99-102).

GAO found that recently naturalized citizens generally used Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) benefits at a higher rate in 1997 than did the
native-born. For example, 8.3 percent of the 927,338 immigrants who were
recently naturalized received SSI benefits during 1997. The rate for
native-born citizens is 2.4 percent. The benefits paid by the federal
and state governments in 1997 to the recently naturalized citizens
included in GAO's review totaled about $735 million for four programs.
This figures reflects nationwide data for the SSI program, as well as
data from five states for the Medicaid and Food Stamp programs and from
four states for the TANF program. Overall, the percentage of benefits
paid to recently naturalized citizens in each program was about one
percent or less of the total benefits paid to all recipients.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  HEHS-99-102
     TITLE:  Welfare Reform: Public Assistance Benefits Provided to
	     Recently Naturalized Citizens
      DATE:  06/23/1999
   SUBJECT:  Welfare benefits
	     Food relief programs
	     Immigrants
	     State-administered programs
	     Public assistance programs
	     Naturalization
	     Comparative analysis
	     Cost analysis
	     Population statistics
	     Surveys
IDENTIFIER:  Medicaid Program
	     Supplemental Security Income Program
	     HHS Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program
	     Food Stamp Program
	     California
	     Florida
	     New York
	     Texas
	     SSI
	     Census Bureau Current Population Survey
	     Illinois

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    United States General Accounting Office GAO                Report
    to the Honorable Elton Gallegly, House of Representatives June
    1999          WELFARE REFORM Public Assistance Benefits Provided
    to Recently Naturalized Citizens GAO/HEHS-99-102 GAO    United
    States General Accounting Office Washington, D.C. 20548 Health,
    Education, and Human Services Division B-280390 June 23, 1999 The
    Honorable Elton Gallegly House of Representatives Dear Mr.
    Gallegly: Between World War II and the mid-1990s, the annual
    number of immigrants who became naturalized U.S. citizens never
    exceeded 400,000. Since then, however, the number of
    naturalizations has grown dramatically. In fiscal year 1996 alone,
    more than 1 million immigrants became naturalized-an all-time
    high. In August of the same year, the Personal Responsibility and
    Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (commonly known as the
    welfare reform law) made noncitizen immigrants ineligible for
    certain federal public assistance benefits. You expressed concern
    that some immigrants may be seeking naturalization for the purpose
    of obtaining or retaining access to such benefits. This report
    responds to your request that we provide information on (1) the
    number of recently naturalized citizens receiving benefits from
    four major public assistance programs (Supplemental Security
    Income (SSI), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
    (TANF), and Food Stamps) compared with that of the native-born
    population in 1997 and (2) the estimated annual cost to the
    federal and state governments of providing such benefits to these
    naturalized citizens. In preparing this report, we obtained data
    from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) on about
    927,000 immigrants who were recently naturalized-during fiscal
    years 1996 and 1997.1 We obtained nationwide data on the SSI
    program from the SSA.2 For the Medicaid and Food Stamp programs,
    we obtained data from the five states (California, Florida,
    Illinois, New York, and Texas) that together account for about
    three-quarters of the recently naturalized individuals.3 For the
    TANF program, we obtained data from four of those five states
    (California, Florida, New York, and Texas).4 To determine the
    number and proportion 1Those for whom we could find a valid Social
    Security number (SSN). A unique identifier, such as a valid SSN,
    is necessary for computer matching. 2Of the four programs we
    examined, we could obtain national data only for SSI because it is
    the one program administered by the federal government. The other
    three programs are administered by the states and every state
    would have to be contacted to obtain complete data. 3About 703,000
    of the 927,000 individuals we identified who were naturalized in
    fiscal years 1996 and 1997 reside in California, Florida,
    Illinois, New York, and Texas. 4We were unable to include TANF
    data from Illinois because of data format constraints. Page 1
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 of
    recently naturalized citizens who received public assistance
    benefits, and the cost of the benefits provided to them, we
    matched the naturalized citizen data against these federal and
    state public assistance records. To compare the naturalized
    citizens' rate of participation in the SSI, Medicaid, and TANF
    programs with that of the native-born population, we used calendar
    year 1997 data from the Bureau of the Census' March 1998 Current
    Population Survey (CPS) for native-born citizens aged 18 years or
    older.5 We conducted our work between April 1998 and April 1999 in
    accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
    See appendix I for a more detailed description of our scope and
    methodology. Results in Brief    Our analysis shows that the
    recently naturalized citizens we identified generally used SSI,
    Medicaid, and TANF benefits at a higher rate in 1997 than the
    native-born population. Nationally, out of the 927,338 immigrants
    who were recently naturalized, we found that about 8.3 percent
    received SSI benefits during 1997. This rate is higher than the
    rate of 2.4 percent for the nation's native-born citizens. Also,
    the rate of benefit receipt for recently naturalized citizens in
    the Medicaid and TANF programs was higher than the CPS-based
    estimate for the native-born population in several of the states
    we examined, although the magnitude of difference varied across
    some states. For example, we found that 9.6 percent of the
    recently naturalized citizens in Texas received Medicaid compared
    with 6.1 percent of the native-born population, while 23.7 percent
    of the recently naturalized citizens in California received such
    benefits compared with 8.2 percent of the native-born population.
    We found similar patterns of difference for the TANF program in
    the states we examined. Because we compared estimates derived from
    administrative data for recently naturalized citizens with
    estimates derived from self-reported survey data for native-born
    citizens, the actual variation between the two populations'
    receipt of public assistance may differ somewhat from our
    estimates. Nevertheless, these estimates are the most accurate we
    could calculate given the data available. In addition, a variety
    of factors may contribute to differences in the benefit receipt
    rates between the recently naturalized citizens and the native-
    born population. These include individuals' decisions to apply for
    benefits, as well as program eligibility factors such as income.
    5We only examined native-born citizens aged 18 years or older
    because the population of naturalized citizens we examined
    consisted of individuals aged 18 or older. (Federal regulations
    require that immigrants seeking naturalization be at least 18.)
    Page 2                                         GAO/HEHS-99-102
    Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 The benefits paid by the
    federal and state governments in 1997 to the recently naturalized
    citizens included in our review totaled about $735 million for the
    four programs. This figure reflects nationwide data for the SSI
    program, as well as data from five states for the Medicaid and
    Food Stamp programs (representing 76 percent of all the recently
    naturalized citizens in our review6), and from four states for the
    TANF program (representing 71 percent of all the recently
    naturalized citizens in our review). Overall, the percentage of
    benefits paid to recently naturalized citizens in each program was
    about 1 percent or less of the total benefits paid to all
    recipients. Background    Naturalization is the process by which
    those born outside of the United States can obtain U.S.
    citizenship. To become a naturalized citizen, an immigrant must
    fulfill certain requirements set forth in the Immigration and
    Nationality Act and federal regulations. Generally, these
    naturalization provisions specify that an immigrant be at least 18
    years of age; have resided in the country continuously for at
    least 5 years; have the ability to speak, read, and write the
    English language; have knowledge of the U.S. government and
    history; and be of good moral character. Some of these
    requirements (such as the language requirement) are waived for
    older individuals and those who are unable to comply because of
    physical, mental, or developmental disabilities.7 Naturalized
    citizens enjoy most of the same legal rights and responsibilities
    as native-born citizens, including the right to apply for public
    assistance. Historically, legal permanent residents (noncitizens)
    of the United States have also been eligible to apply for various
    public assistance benefits. However, the Personal Responsibility
    and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 contained several
    public assistance benefit restrictions. Title IV of the Act made
    noncitizens ineligible for certain federal welfare benefits and
    gave states the option to provide or restrict their access to
    other federal, state, or local benefits. Eligibility restrictions
    were greatest for those who entered the country on or after August
    22, 1996, the date of enactment. The major federal- and state-
    administered public assistance programs affected by the welfare
    reform law were SSI, TANF (formerly Aid to Families 6Among the
    927,338 naturalized citizens we identified nationally who became
    citizens in fiscal years 1996 and 1997. 7The language requirement
    and civics test are waived in some cases for older immigrants who
    have resided in the United States for an extended period. Page 3
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 With
    Dependent Children), Medicaid, and Food Stamps. These programs
    provide either cash or in-kind benefits to individuals who meet
    the eligibility criteria. The law initially barred immigrants,
    with some exceptions, from receiving SSI or food stamps and
    generally prohibited new immigrants from receiving TANF or
    Medicaid benefits during their first 5 years in the United States.
    In addition, the law gave states the option of denying TANF
    benefits and Medicaid eligibility to most prereform immigrants and
    to new immigrants8 even after 5 years of U.S. residency.
    Subsequently, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 largely restored
    eligibility for SSI to many noncitizens who were affected by the
    welfare reform law. In addition, the Agricultural Research,
    Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 restored Food Stamp
    eligibility for prereform immigrants who were younger than 18,
    aged 65 and older, or were receiving benefits or assistance for
    blindness or disability as of August 22, 1996. Moreover, most
    states have also chosen to continue providing federal TANF and
    Medicaid benefits to new immigrants after 5 years of U.S.
    residency.9 Since the mid-1990s, the number of naturalizations
    each year has increased significantly, with over 1 million
    immigrants becoming U.S. citizens in 1996 alone (see figure 1).
    According to INS, several factors likely have contributed to this
    recent, rapid increase in naturalizations. They cited the
    following: * A "Green Card Replacement Program" initiated by INS
    in 1992 required long-term residents to replace their permanent
    resident alien cards with new, more counterfeit-resistant cards;
    many immigrants chose to become naturalized rather than incur the
    cost of applying for a new card. * The passage of the Immigration
    Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) resulted in about 2.7
    million illegal aliens being granted legal permanent resident
    status. In 1994, the first IRCA immigrants became eligible for
    naturalization (see app. II for more detailed information on the
    IRCA-naturalized citizens in our review). * The Citizenship USA
    initiative, implemented in August 1995, was designed to streamline
    the naturalization process. * Legislative efforts restricted
    public benefits for noncitizens at the state and federal levels.
    8Those immigrants entering the country on or after the date of
    enactment of the welfare reform law. 9Welfare Reform: Many States
    Continue Some Federal or State Benefits for Immigrants (GAO/HEHS-
    98-132, July 31, 1998). Page 4
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 Figure
    1: Number of People Naturalized (Fiscal Years 1911-97)
    1,200,000     Number of immigrants naturalized 1,000,000 800,000
    600,000 400,000 200,000 0 1916      1926       1936         1946
    1956       1966       1976       1986       1996 Year Source: INS.
    Recently Naturalized                  We estimate that, in
    general, the recently naturalized citizens included in Citizens
    Received                     our review received SSI, Medicaid,
    and TANF benefits at a higher rate in 1997 than did the native-
    born population.10 Nationally, recently naturalized Benefits at a
    Higher                  citizens received SSI benefits at a rate
    higher than that of the native-born Rate Than
    population. Similarly, the recently naturalized citizens in our
    review received Medicaid and TANF benefits at a higher rate than
    the native-born Native-Born Citizens                  population
    in several of the five states we examined-California, Florida, in
    1997                               Illinois, New York, and Texas-
    although the difference in the rate of benefit receipt between
    naturalized citizens and native-born citizens varied across
    states.11 A variety of factors may contribute to differences in
    the benefit receipt rates between the recently naturalized
    citizens and the native-born population. These include
    individuals' decisions to apply for benefits, as well as program
    eligibility factors such as income. We identified naturalized
    citizens receiving Food Stamp benefits in all five 10Our CPS-based
    estimates for the native-born population have standard errors
    associated with them. See appendix I for a discussion of these
    standard errors. 11The difference between the recently naturalized
    citizens' rate of benefit receipt and that of native-born citizens
    was not statistically significant in three instances: Medicaid
    benefits in Illinois, and TANF benefits in Florida and Texas (see
    table I.2 in app. I). Page 5
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 states,
    but lacked sufficient data to compare their benefit use with that
    of the native-born population for this program. In addition, we
    analyzed IRCA-naturalized citizens (a subset that represented
    almost 30 percent of all the recently naturalized citizens in our
    review) separately to determine if their pattern of benefit
    receipt differed from that of all other recently naturalized
    citizens (see app. II). SSI                  For calendar year
    1997, we identified 76,823 recently naturalized citizens who
    received SSI benefits. These individuals represent 8.3 percent of
    the 927,338 recently naturalized citizens in our review-a rate
    higher than the comparable figure of 2.4 percent for the native-
    born population. Overall, the recently naturalized citizens who
    received SSI benefits represent about 1.2 percent of the total
    population of about 6.6 million SSI recipients nationwide in 1997.
    We also analyzed a more comprehensive group of about 2.7 million
    naturalized citizens who obtained citizenship between 1970 and
    1995 to determine if individuals who were naturalized in earlier
    years received benefits at the same rate as those who were
    naturalized recently. About 4.2 percent of all the individuals who
    were naturalized during this 25-year period (112,140) received SSI
    benefits in 1997. The immigrants who were naturalized between 1970
    and 1995 received benefits in 1997 at about half the rate of the
    group of recently naturalized citizens.12 This suggests the
    possibility that the rate of SSI benefit receipt among recently
    naturalized citizens may not be representative of the benefit
    receipt rate among all naturalized citizens. We could not,
    however, determine what factors contributed to the difference in
    receipt rates between the two groups. Medicaid and TANF    Of the
    702,560 recently naturalized citizens who resided in five states-
    California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas-we found that
    135,681 (19.3 percent) received Medicaid benefits. In four of the
    five states, these naturalized citizens received Medicaid benefits
    in 1997 at a higher rate than that of the native-born citizen
    population.13 The largest difference between the two populations'
    use of benefits was in California, where 23.7 percent of the
    recently naturalized citizens received Medicaid, while our
    analysis of CPS data indicates that 8.2 percent of the native-born
    12We were able to make this comparison for the SSI program only,
    because it is the one program we reviewed that has the nationwide
    data on program participants essential for our analysis. 13The
    difference between the recently naturalized citizens' rate of
    benefit receipt and that of native-born citizens was not
    statistically significant in Illinois. See table I.2 in app. I.
    Page 6                                             GAO/HEHS-99-102
    Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 citizens in California
    received such benefits. By comparison, Texas exhibited a much
    smaller difference in rates of receipt, with 9.6 percent of the
    naturalized citizens receiving benefits in 1997 compared with 6.1
    percent of the native-born population (see table 1). We also
    identified 30,052 individuals receiving TANF benefits in four
    states-California, Florida, New York, and Texas-or about 4.6
    percent of all the recently naturalized citizens residing in those
    states. Recently naturalized citizens used TANF benefits at a
    higher rate than native-born citizens in two of the four states.14
    As with Medicaid, the difference between the two populations' use
    of benefits varied from one state to the next. We found that 5.8
    percent of recently naturalized citizens with valid SSNs in
    California received TANF-a considerably higher rate than that of
    the native-born population (2 percent). By comparison, New York
    exhibited a somewhat smaller difference in rates of receipt, with
    4.7 percent of the recently naturalized citizens receiving
    benefits in 1997 compared with 2.2 percent of the native-born
    population. See table 1 for a summary of naturalized and native-
    born citizens' use of benefits in each state. 14The difference
    between the recently naturalized citizens' rate of benefit receipt
    and that of native-born citizens was not statistically significant
    in Florida and Texas. See table I.2 in app. I. Page 7
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 Table 1:
    Rates of Public Assistance Receipt by Recently Naturalized and
    Estimated Native-Born Citizens, Calendar Year
    percentage of                Estimated 1997
    recently           percentage of naturalized              native-
    born citizens receiving citizens receiving Program
    Source of data                       benefits
    benefitsa SSI                             National
    8.3                    2.4 Medicaid                        Calif.
    23.7                     8.2 Fla.
    18.7                     6.2 Ill.
    7.5                    6.0b N.Y.c
    17.3                     9.6 Tex.
    9.6                    6.1 TANFd                           Calif.
    5.8                    2.0 Fla.
    1.8                    1.1b N.Y.
    4.7                    2.2 Tex.
    1.5                    1.2b aEstimates based on March 1998 CPS
    data, which reflect survey responses for public assistance receipt
    during calendar year 1997. bThe CPS-based estimate for the native-
    born population is not statistically different from the estimate
    for the recently naturalized citizens, which was calculated using
    administrative data. cNew York Medicaid data are for fiscal year
    1997, rather than calendar year 1997. dWe were unable to use
    Illinois' TANF data in our review due to formatting problems. Food
    Stamps                            We found that 77,351 recently
    naturalized citizens (11 percent) in the five states received Food
    Stamp benefits. Similar to the other programs we analyzed, receipt
    of food stamps by recently naturalized citizens varied widely
    among the five states. We found the highest rate of receipt in
    Florida, where 17.6 percent of the recently naturalized population
    accessed benefits, followed by New York (14.6 percent), Texas
    (13.1 percent), California (7.9 percent), and Illinois (5.7
    percent). However, we were unable to compare the naturalized and
    native-born populations' use of this program because CPS survey
    data measure food stamp receipt by households, not individuals.
    Comparing Benefit Rates                Our estimates of benefit
    receipt by recently naturalized citizens and the Using
    Administrative Data              native-born population are likely
    to be affected by substantive differences and CPS Data Requires
    between, and limitations in, the administrative program data and
    the CPS Caution                                survey data. For
    example, because the data on naturalized citizens only Page 8
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 include
    individuals for whom we could find a valid SSN, our data may not
    be representative of all naturalized citizens in the country. If
    all naturalized citizens in the country were included in our
    analysis, the proportion of this population that we identified as
    receiving public assistance could change. Moreover, a variety of
    factors may contribute to differences in the rate of public
    assistance receipt between these populations, including
    individuals' decisions to apply for benefits and program
    eligibility factors such as income. According to a Census Bureau
    official, the CPS data we used to estimate the native-born
    population's use of public assistance benefits may understate the
    true proportion of individuals receiving such benefits, largely
    because these data are self-reported. This official indicated that
    survey respondents frequently underreport this type of
    information, thus lowering the estimated percentage of individuals
    who receive public assistance. Moreover, because the CPS survey
    analyzes sample data to estimate characteristics of the entire
    population, the estimates we based on CPS data have sampling
    errors associated with them (see app. 1). Recently Naturalized
    We estimate that the benefits paid15 by the federal and state
    governments Citizens Received        to the recently naturalized
    citizens included in our review for SSI, Medicaid, TANF, and food
    stamps totaled about $735 million in 1997. This About $735 Million
    in    figure is based on national data for the SSI program; data
    from California, Benefits in 1997         Florida, Illinois, New
    York, and Texas for the Medicaid and Food Stamp programs; and data
    from four of the states (excluding Illinois) for the TANF
    program.16 The percentage of benefits received by the recently
    naturalized citizens in each program was 1.3 percent or less of
    the total benefits paid to all recipients in those programs and
    states. In addition, the amount of benefits received by these
    recently naturalized citizens was generally proportional to their
    representation in the recipient populations for each of the four
    programs.17 Total SSI benefits paid nationwide to 76,823 recently
    naturalized citizens equaled $331 million, or about 1.3 percent of
    the benefits paid to all 15Our estimates do not include
    administrative costs for these programs. 16As indicated
    previously, about three-quarters of all the immigrants who were
    naturalized in recent years reside in the five states we examined.
    17The naturalized citizens we identified as receiving benefits in
    each of the programs represent about 1.2 percent of all SSI
    recipients nationwide; 0.8 percent and 0.6 percent of all Medicaid
    and food stamp recipients, respectively, in the five states we
    examined; and 0.5 percent of all TANF recipients in four of the
    states (excluding Illinois). Page 9
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 program
    recipients in 1997. By comparison, the 112,140 immigrants on the
    SSI rolls who were naturalized between 1970 and 1995 received
    about $489 million in SSI benefits in 1997. Although the recently
    naturalized citizens represent about 26 percent of all the
    immigrants who were naturalized between 1970 and 1997,18 the
    recently naturalized citizens received about 40 percent of the
    $820 million in SSI benefits that went to all immigrants who were
    naturalized between 1970 and 1997. Medicaid claims for recently
    naturalized citizens totaled about $317 million, representing
    about 0.6 percent of all Medicaid benefits paid in the five states
    we examined. TANF benefits paid to recently naturalized citizens
    totaled about $42 million, or 0.5 percent of all the benefits paid
    to recipients in the four states for which we had data, while Food
    Stamp benefits totaled about $45 million, or 0.7 percent of all
    Food Stamp benefits paid by the five states in our review. Table 2
    shows the benefits received by the naturalized citizens in each
    state we examined for the Medicaid, TANF, and Food Stamp programs.
    Table 2: Recently Naturalized Citizens Receiving Medicaid, TANF,
    and Food        State
    Medicaid                TANF        Food stamps Stamp Benefits by
    State in Calendar       California            Recipients
    81,686             20,079               27,349 Year 1997
    Benefits                 $125,442,072         $27,758,412
    $15,324,541 Florida               Recipients
    17,591               1,737              16,537 Benefits
    $42,925,584          $2,691,765         $10,598,000 Illinois
    Recipients                        3,311                     a
    2,493 Benefits                  $10,572,484
    a       $1,478,937 New York              Recipients
    27,226               7,342              22,962 Benefits
    $121,601,682         $11,178,877         $13,254,328 Texas
    Recipients                        5,867                 894
    8,010 Benefits                  $16,676,456            $362,828
    $4,126,632 Note: The number of recipients should not be totaled
    across programs because some recipients may have received benefits
    from more than one program. aNo data on TANF were usable because
    of formatting problems. It is likely that the benefits received by
    the naturalized citizens in our review represent a substantial
    part of the total benefits received by all recently naturalized
    citizens in the four programs in 1997. This is because the SSI
    data we cite are national, and the states we examined represent
    about three-quarters of all immigrants nationwide who became
    citizens in 18Out of a total of 3.6 million citizens who were
    naturalized between 1970 and 1997, about 927,000 were naturalized
    recently (during fiscal years 1996 and 1997). Page 10
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 fiscal
    years 1996 and 1997. However, because our analysis is limited to
    benefits received during calendar year 1997, we are unable to
    comment on longer-term patterns of benefit receipt by naturalized
    citizens. Agency Comments     We provided a draft of this report
    to administrators at the federal agencies and Our Response    and
    states that supplied us with data, or that have administrative or
    oversight responsibility for the public assistance programs we
    discussed. These include the Administration for Children and
    Families in the Department of Health and Human Services
    (responsible for the TANF program); the Census Bureau in the
    Department of Commerce; Food and Nutrition Services in the
    Department of Agriculture (responsible for the Food Stamp
    program); the Health Care Financing Administration in the
    Department of Health and Human Services (responsible for the
    Medicaid program); INS in the Department of Justice; SSA
    (responsible for the SSI program); and California, Florida,
    Illinois, New York, and Texas. We received comments from program
    administrators at the Census Bureau, the Department of Health and
    Human Services, Food and Nutrition Services, INS, California,
    Florida, and New York. Although our report cautions readers to
    consider the data limitations we discuss when interpreting the
    data, some program administrators raised concerns about these
    limitations, and why certain analyses were not done. For example,
    some program administrators questioned the validity of comparing
    the administrative data used for the recently naturalized
    citizens' receipt of public assistance benefits to the CPS-based
    data used for the native-born population's use of such benefits-a
    limitation we had discussed. Another commentor raised questions
    about the statistical significance of some of our findings. We
    have modified the report where appropriate to reflect some of
    these concerns, particularly with respect to the statistical
    significance of some of our findings. We were aware of the data
    limitations noted by these program administrators, and have sought
    to overcome these limitations throughout our review. Moreover,
    certain analyses were not possible because the necessary data were
    not available. Finally, we believe that we have fairly and
    accurately characterized the data and findings in our report and
    have provided the most accurate calculations possible given the
    quality and availability of the data. Program administrators in
    SSA and the states of Illinois and Texas reviewed the report and
    told us that they did not have any comments. Page 11
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens B-280390 We are
    sending copies of this report to the agencies who supplied data,
    provided comments, or have administrative or oversight
    responsibility for the public assistance programs discussed, and
    will make copies available to others upon request. Please contact
    Jeremy Cox, Evaluator-in-Charge, or me at (202) 512-7215 if you
    have any questions concerning this report or need additional
    information. Other major contributors to this report are listed in
    appendix III. Sincerely yours, Cynthia M. Fagnoni Director,
    Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues Page 12
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Page 13
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Contents Letter
    1 Appendix I
    16 Scope and Methodology Appendix II
    24 Benefit Use by Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
    Naturalized Citizens Appendix III
    27 Major Contributors to This Report Tables
    Table 1: Rates of Public Assistance Receipt by Recently
    8 Naturalized and Native-Born Citizens, Calendar Year 1997 Table
    2: Recently Naturalized Citizens Receiving Medicaid, TANF,
    10 and Food Stamp Benefits by State in Calendar Year 1997 Table
    I.1: Comparison of Administrative Data and CPS Data
    21 Table I.2: Confidence Intervals Associated With CPS-Based
    22 Estimates of Public Assistance Receipt Table II.1: Benefits
    Received by IRCA-Naturalized Citizens in                 26 1997
    Figure                   Figure 1: Number of People Naturalized
    5 Page 14                          GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to
    Naturalized Citizens Contents Abbreviations CIS          Central
    Index System CPS          Current Population Survey HCFA
    Health Care Financing Administration INS          Immigration and
    Naturalization Service IRCA         Immigration Reform and Control
    Act of 1986 MSIS         Medicaid Statistical Information System
    SSA          Social Security Administration SSI
    Supplemental Security Income SSN          Social Security number
    SSR          Supplemental Security Record TANF         Temporary
    Assistance for Needy Families Page 15
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope
    and Methodology Introduction    To estimate the number of
    naturalized citizens receiving public assistance, we obtained data
    from several federal and state sources. We acquired data on
    individuals who were naturalized in fiscal years 1996 and 1997
    from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). In
    addition, SSA provided data (originating from a master database
    supplied by INS) that identified all individuals with valid Social
    Security numbers (SSN) who were naturalized between 1900 and
    1996.19 Together, the INS and SSA databases represent the universe
    of naturalized citizens in the country as of 1997 for whom we
    could find a valid SSN. We obtained individual-level public
    assistance data for four major programs: Supplemental Security
    Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
    Medicaid, and Food Stamps. We obtained SSI data from SSA and data
    for the three remaining programs20 from five states21-California,
    Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas-where about three-quarters
    of all the immigrants who were naturalized recently reside. We
    matched naturalized citizen data against administrative records
    from the four public assistance programs to determine whether
    these individuals received benefits in calendar year 1997, and if
    so, the amount of benefits provided to them by the federal and
    state governments. We also compared our estimates of the
    naturalized citizens' rate of benefit use for each program against
    estimates we calculated from the Census Bureau's March 1998
    Current Population Survey (CPS) for the native-born population's
    use of such benefits (for individuals aged 18 or older).22
    However, certain limitations in the data we used to estimate both
    naturalized and native-born citizens' use of public assistance
    should be noted. Our data include only those naturalized citizens
    for whom we could identify a valid SSN. As a result, our estimates
    may not be representative of the extent to which all naturalized
    citizens in the country use public assistance. In addition, our
    analysis of naturalized citizens' use of public assistance was
    based on administrative program data, whereas the CPS data we used
    to estimate the native-born population's use of such benefits are
    self-reported. Thus, because we compared estimates derived from
    19INS originally prepared this master database for SSA to assist
    the agency in implementing provisions of the welfare reform act
    that affected noncitizens' eligibility for the SSI program.
    20Medicaid data for California and Florida were obtained centrally
    from the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) Medicaid
    Statistical Information System (MSIS). Also, New York Medicaid
    data are for fiscal year 1997, rather than calendar year 1997.
    21Because of data limitations, we could not use TANF data from
    Illinois. As a result, our analysis of this program is limited to
    the four remaining states that provided us with data. 22We
    examined only native-born citizens 18 years or older because the
    population of naturalized citizens we examined consisted of
    individuals over 18 years-the minimum age for naturalization. Page
    16                                         GAO/HEHS-99-102
    Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope and Methodology
    administrative data to estimates derived from self-reported survey
    data, the variation between the two populations' use of public
    assistance may differ somewhat. Moreover, because we have not
    controlled for possible variation in income and socioeconomic
    characteristics of the two populations, we could not determine the
    extent to which such variation may explain the differences we
    found in the two populations' receipt of benefits. We tested the
    accuracy of the naturalized citizen and public assistance data
    used in our report with the appropriate federal and state
    agencies. In general, we found that our data were accurate.
    Naturalized Citizen Data    To identify the number of immigrants
    who were recently naturalized (in Provided by INS and SSA
    fiscal years 1996 and 1997), we first obtained data on naturalized
    citizens from INS' Central Index System (CIS) and Redesigned
    Naturalization Application Casework System. The files provided by
    INS contained about 1.5 million unique records, which represented
    complete data for fiscal year 1996 and partial data for fiscal
    year 1997.23 For each record, we obtained several pieces of
    information, including the naturalized citizen's name, date of
    birth, INS "A" (alien) number, naturalization date and location,
    as well as country of origin. We obtained valid SSNs for as many
    of these individuals as possible using SSA's Enumeration
    Verification System, which uses key variables (such as name and
    date of birth) to verify any SSNs provided with data entered into
    the system, or to determine a correct SSN if none is provided. Of
    the original 1.5 million records, we identified valid SSNs for
    927,338 records. To supplement the 1996 and 1997 data, we also
    obtained data from SSA on about 3.2 million individuals with valid
    SSNs who were naturalized between 1900 and 1996. The two files
    were combined, resulting in a master file of individuals with
    valid SSNs who were naturalized between 1900 and 1997. After we
    combined the two files, tested the accuracy of the data, and
    eliminated duplicate records, our population contained about 3.7
    million individuals. We then eliminated all records prior to
    1970,24 which resulted in a final population of about 3.6 million
    naturalized citizens with valid 23Complete data for newly
    naturalized citizens in fiscal year 1997 were not available at the
    time of our review because not all INS field offices had provided
    their reports on newly naturalized citizens to INS headquarters.
    The offices that had not reported such data tended to be smaller,
    rural offices. 24According to INS officials, agency data on
    immigrants and naturalized citizens from 1970 forward may be more
    accurate than data from prior years due to the advent of the
    automated CIS. Therefore, they advised us to exclude immigrants
    who were naturalized before 1970 from our review. In doing so, we
    eliminated about 100,000 cases-about 3 percent of all immigrants
    with valid SSNs we identified. Page 17
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope
    and Methodology SSNs who became citizens between 1970 and 1997.25
    Included in this population were about 343,000 naturalized
    citizens who originally were illegal immigrants and were granted
    amnesty under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
    (IRCA). See appendix II for details on this subpopulation of IRCA-
    naturalized citizens. Public Assistance Data     We calculated
    recently naturalized citizens' receipt of public assistance
    Obtained From Federal      benefits using calendar year 1997
    program administrative data. We and State Agencies
    obtained nationwide SSI benefit data from SSA's Supplemental
    Security Record (SSR), the central database used to administer the
    SSI program. We obtained TANF eligibility data from state agencies
    in California, Florida, and Texas, and payment data from New York.
    We also obtained Medicaid payment data for California and Florida
    from HCFA, and from state agencies in Illinois, New York, and
    Texas. Finally, we obtained Food Stamp eligibility data from
    California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas.26 Identifying
    Naturalized    Our analysis of public assistance use by the 3.6
    million naturalized citizens Citizens Using Public      with valid
    SSNs in our review was limited to the SSI program because it is
    Assistance Benefits        the only program in our review that has
    a national database containing information on all participants. As
    such, we asked SSA to match the population of 3.6 million cases
    against the SSR to determine the number of naturalized citizens
    using SSI nationally. Also, we matched the SSI data against two
    subgroups of naturalized citizens to compare their rates of
    benefit receipt: (1) the 927,338 immigrants who recently were
    naturalized in fiscal years 1996 and 1997 and (2) the remaining
    2.7 million immigrants who were naturalized between 1970 and 1995.
    Nationwide matches of the other public assistance programs were
    impractical because these programs are administered by the states,
    and we lacked the nationwide data essential for our analysis.
    Instead, we focused on the five states, discussed above, where
    more than three-quarters of the recently naturalized citizens
    reside. We established a state of residence for the recently
    naturalized citizens in our review based on their location at the
    time they were naturalized (as indicated by a unique INS
    naturalization 25Included in the total population of 3.6 million
    were about 2.7 million immigrants who were naturalized between
    January 1970 and September 1995. 26The numbers of naturalized
    citizens we identified as using Food Stamp benefits and the total
    benefits paid to these individuals are our estimates based on
    states' program eligibility files. The total number of individuals
    we cite as receiving benefits is based on each state's estimate of
    the percentage of eligible individuals who actually participate in
    the program each month. Similarly, the total benefits attributed
    to these individuals are estimated based on the average payment
    per recipient in each state. Page 18
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope
    and Methodology location code).27 We matched all the recently
    naturalized citizens with valid SSNs against the TANF, Medicaid,
    and Food Stamp beneficiary databases provided to us by the states.
    A match was considered valid if (1) the individual received
    benefits at some point in 1997 after the date of naturalization
    and (2) the INS location code indicated that the individual
    resided in the state. The following hypothetical case illustrates
    those two criteria. A comparison of our naturalized citizen data
    with state administrative records reveals 100 matches of
    individuals receiving benefits. Only 90 individuals received
    benefits after their date of naturalization. Moreover, only 85 of
    those 90 individuals displayed an INS location code for that
    state, so our final match count for the program in that state
    would be 85 individuals. Calculation of Benefit    We calculated
    the amount of benefits provided to the naturalized citizens Costs
    Incurred by the     by the federal and state governments over a 1-
    year period-calendar year Federal and State         1997.28 We
    obtained individual-level benefit payment data from the SSI
    Governments               program and from the Medicaid programs
    in each state. In other cases (such as California Food Stamp data
    and California, New York, and Texas TANF data), we used program
    eligibility data along with information on the average monthly
    benefit per individual to estimate the annual value of the
    benefits. As discussed, our analysis included only benefit
    payments that occurred in 1997 in the months following each
    individual's date of naturalization. For example, if an individual
    obtained Medicaid benefits for each month in calendar year 1997,
    and was naturalized in July 1997, we calculated the value of the
    benefits provided to that individual for the period of August
    through December. In addition, we calculated only the estimated
    value of the benefits provided to the naturalized citizens;
    program administrative costs were not included in our analysis.
    27We lacked sufficient data to determine a state of residence for
    all 3.6 million naturalized citizens in our review. 28Medicaid
    data from New York were only available for fiscal year 1997. Page
    19                                         GAO/HEHS-99-102
    Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope and Methodology
    Comparison of               We compared the naturalized citizens'
    use of public assistance benefits to Administrative Data With
    data from the March 1998 CPS for the native-born population, as
    well as to CPS Data on Native-Born     1998 CPS data for the
    foreign-born citizen (naturalized) population. These and Foreign-
    Born            comparisons were conducted on the national level
    for the SSI program, and (Naturalized) Citizen       on the state
    level for the Medicaid and TANF programs for each state that
    provided data for our review.29 Table I.1 compares our estimates
    of the Populations                 recently naturalized citizens'
    use of these programs based on administrative data to our
    estimates based on CPS data for both the native-born and foreign-
    born citizen populations. The estimates we provide have
    limitations. For example, our estimates of naturalized citizens'
    use of public assistance benefits are based solely on those
    individuals for whom we could identify a valid SSN. Therefore, the
    naturalized citizens in our review may not be representative of
    all naturalized citizens in the nation, and may not represent the
    level of public assistance received by all naturalized citizens.
    Moreover, the CPS data for the native- and foreign-born citizen
    populations' use of the three programs are survey projections
    based on statistical sampling. According to the Census Bureau, the
    CPS data are subject to certain factors that may affect the
    accuracy of such estimates, including (1) underreporting by the
    target population on questions concerning public assistance and
    (2) sampling error. Underreporting of assistance means that survey
    respondents have failed to report receipt of assistance, have
    underreported the amount of assistance received, or have
    misclassified the assistance received. The Census Bureau notes
    that CPS survey respondents underreport their receipt of cash
    assistance from programs such as Aid to Families With Dependent
    Children or TANF (although estimates for SSI tend to be more
    accurate). Underreporting of noncash benefits such as food stamps
    is also evident, although the extent to which this occurs has been
    more difficult to assess, according to the Census Bureau. 29We
    could not compare the naturalized and native-born citizens' use of
    the Food Stamp program because the CPS data we analyzed only
    contained household-level data. Page 20
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope
    and Methodology Table I.1: Comparison of Administrative Data and
    CPS Data
    CPS-based data Percentage of Program data
    foreign-born Percentage of
    (naturalized) recently naturalized            Percentage of
    citizens Source of           citizens receiving native-born
    citizens                  receiving Program        data
    benefits      receiving benefits               benefits SSIa
    National                            8.3
    2.4                  3.2 Medicaidb      Calif.
    23.7                         8.2                  8.7 Fla.
    18.7                         6.2                  8.3 Ill.
    7.5                         6.0                  2.9 N.Y.c
    17.3                         9.6                 11.9 Tex.
    9.6                         6.1                  8.9 TANFb
    Calif.                              5.8
    2.0                  1.2 Fla.                                1.8
    1.1                  0.9d N.Y.                                4.7
    2.2                  1.8 Tex.                                1.5
    1.2                  1.1 aGAO's estimate for the SSI program is
    based on all 3.6 million naturalized citizens with valid SSNs who
    were naturalized since 1970. bGAO's estimate for Medicaid and TANF
    programs is based on 927,338 naturalized citizens with valid SSNs
    who were naturalized during fiscal years 1996 and 1997. TANF data
    for Illionis were not available for our review. cNew York Medicaid
    data are for fiscal year 1997 rather than calendar year 1997.
    dEstimate is based on March 1997 CPS, which reflects responses
    about receipt of public assistance benefits in calendar year 1996.
    The CPS uses a sample of the population to estimate the
    characteristics of both the native-born and foreign-born
    populations; therefore, our CPS-based estimates of benefit use by
    these populations have degrees of imprecision known as standard
    errors associated with them. A standard error is a measure of the
    variation that may occur by chance because a sample, rather than
    the entire population, was analyzed. The size of the standard
    error reflects the imprecision of the estimate. The smaller the
    standard error, the more precise the estimate. The standard error
    can be used to calculate a confidence interval around each
    estimate that indicates the degree of imprecision in that
    estimate. For each of our CPS-based estimates, we calculated a 95-
    percent confidence interval. This means that there is a 95-percent
    chance that the actual population percentage of interest falls
    within that interval (see table I.2). The Food Stamp program is
    excluded because the CPS does not collect information on
    individuals' use of these benefits. Page 21
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope
    and Methodology Table I.2: Confidence Intervals Associated With
    CPS-Based Estimates    Numbers in Percent of Public Assistance
    Receipt           Source of data
    Native-born                      Foreign-born SSI (national) SSA
    2.4 (2.2 to 2.6)                  3.2 (1.9 to 4.5) Medicaid Calif.
    8.2 (7.9 to 8.5)                 8.7 (4.1 to 13.3) Fla.
    6.2 (4.6 to 7.8)                 8.3 (2.1 to 14.5) Ill.
    6.0 (4.3 to 7.7)                  2.9 (1.3 to 5.6) N.Y.
    9.6 (7.9 to 11.3)                11.9 (6.1 to 17.7) Tex.
    6.1 (4.6 to 7.6)                 8.9 (0.2 to 17.6) TANF Calif.
    2.0 (1.2 to 2.8)                  1.2 (0.7 to 1.8) Fla.
    1.1 (0.4 to 1.8)                  0.9 (0.3 to 2.1)a N.Y.
    2.2 (1.3 to 3.1)                  1.8 (1.1 to 2.8) Tex.
    1.2 (0.5 to 1.9)                  1.1 (0.2 to 2.8) aEstimate and
    standard error based on data from March 1997 CPS, which reflects
    responses given for TANF use in calendar year 1996. Data
    Verification                      To test the accuracy of the data
    used in our analysis, we obtained independent verification from
    INS and each state that provided us with public assistance data.30
    To verify the INS data on naturalized citizens, we selected a
    random sample of 50 records and compared the electronic data to
    data from each individual's certificate of naturalization.
    Similarly, to verify the data from the state public assistance
    programs, we selected a random sample of 30 cases per program in
    each state.31 We supplemented each random sample with five
    judgmentally selected cases, focusing on very large payment
    amounts. We asked the states to verify the accuracy of specific
    identifying variables, including name, SSN, and date of birth, as
    well as the benefits paid to each individual in the sample. The
    results of our verification process indicate that, overall, the
    data were accurate. INS confirmed the citizenship status of all 50
    cases we sent them. With respect to the state public assistance
    data, we found only one case in which the identity of an
    individual was in question. A small number of additional cases
    displayed surnames that did not match. However, upon 30We did not
    ask SSA to verify the SSI data we used because they are subject to
    SSA's internal verification procedures. 31Food Stamp data were
    verified by our Kansas City Regional Office. Page 22
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix I Scope
    and Methodology review, state officials determined that in each
    case it was the same individual; discrepancies were attributed to
    changes in marital status, or the "Americanization" of certain
    surnames. With respect to benefit payments, overall, state
    officials concurred with the accuracy of the data. Some
    discrepancies were found in the payment amounts we estimated for a
    limited number of cases in the random samples verified by the
    states. State officials indicated that such discrepancies were
    attributable to a number of factors, including differences in the
    dates on which calculations were made. In four cases for the
    Medicaid program in Florida, some of the HCFA data we used showed
    benefits to be substantially lower than the state records
    indicated. Florida officials attributed these differences to
    apparent discrepancies between the MSIS data reported to HCFA that
    we used for our review and the state records used to verify our
    sample of cases. Therefore, the payments for Medicaid services
    received by naturalized citizens in Florida could be higher than
    our estimate. Page 23                           GAO/HEHS-99-102
    Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix II Benefit Use by
    Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 Naturalized Citizens We
    examined the portion of the naturalized citizen population
    composed of formerly illegal aliens who were granted amnesty under
    the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). This act
    was passed in an effort to stem the flow of illegal aliens into
    the United States, and adopted two strategies to accomplish this
    objective: (1) sanctions against employers who knowingly hire
    illegal aliens and (2) enhanced border enforcement to slow the
    flow of illegal aliens entering the country. In addition, IRCA
    legalized the status of illegal aliens who met certain
    requirements. Overall, about 2.7 million illegal aliens who
    demonstrated that they had resided continuously in the United
    States since before January 1, 1982, were granted legal permanent
    resident status under IRCA. In 1994, the first of the IRCA
    immigrants became eligible for naturalization. Moreover, the IRCA
    immigrants have represented an increasing proportion of all the
    immigrants naturalized each year between 1994 and 1997. As such,
    the IRCA immigrants have apparently contributed to the increase in
    the overall number of naturalizations since the mid-1990s. We
    analyzed this group's receipt of public assistance benefits
    separately from all other naturalized citizens to determine how
    their rate of benefit receipt compared to their overall
    representation in the population of recently naturalized citizens.
    Of the total group of 927,338 recently naturalized citizens with
    valid SSNs, we found that 274,309 (29.6 percent) were IRCA-
    naturalized citizens. The percentage of the IRCA-naturalized
    citizens who received some form of public benefit varied from
    state to state. However, overall, the proportion of IRCA-
    naturalized citizens receiving benefits-as well as the amount of
    benefits they received-was somewhat lower than their
    representation in the population of recently naturalized citizens.
    Supplemental Security Out of the 76,823 recently naturalized
    citizens we identified who received Income
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits in calendar year 1997,
    we found that 5,181 (6.7 percent) were IRCA-naturalized citizens.
    IRCA-naturalized citizens made up a relatively small proportion of
    all recently naturalized SSI recipients we identified. In total,
    these IRCA-naturalized recipients were paid about $21 million in
    benefits during this period, or roughly 6.3 percent of the $331
    million in benefits paid to all recently naturalized citizens
    during 1997. Thus, the benefits received by the IRCA-naturalized
    citizens were roughly proportional to their representation in the
    population of all recently naturalized citizens who received
    benefits in this program (see table II.1). Page 24
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix II
    Benefit Use by Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
    Naturalized Citizens Medicaid       We found that 28,884 (21.3
    percent) of the 135,681 recently naturalized citizens we
    identified receiving Medicaid benefits in five states-California,
    Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas-were IRCA-naturalized
    citizens. The majority of these individuals (21,737) resided in
    California, with the smallest number (789) living in Illinois.
    Overall, these IRCA-naturalized citizens received $43 million
    (13.6 percent) of the $317 million received by all recently
    naturalized citizens. Thus, the proportion of benefits the IRCA-
    naturalized citizens received was somewhat lower than their
    representation in the five-state population of recently
    naturalized Medicaid recipients (see table II.1). TANF
    Of the 30,052 recently naturalized individuals we identified as
    receiving TANF benefits in four states-California, Florida, Texas,
    and New York-we found that 8,233 (27.4 percent) were IRCA-
    naturalized citizens. The greatest number of these individuals
    (6,371) resided in California, with the smallest number (429)
    living in Texas. Overall, these IRCA-naturalized citizens received
    almost $10.5 million (25 percent) of the total $42 million in TANF
    paid to all recently naturalized citizens in our review. As such,
    the proportion of benefits received by these individuals is almost
    the same as their representation in the four-state population of
    all recently naturalized TANF recipients (see table II.1). Food
    Stamps    Of the 77,351 recently naturalized individuals we
    identified as receiving Food Stamp benefits in all five states, we
    found that 18,178 (23.5 percent) were IRCA-naturalized citizens.
    Similar to the pattern exhibited in the population of IRCA
    Medicaid recipients, the majority (9,837) lived in California, and
    the smallest number (696) lived in Illinois. Overall, these IRCA
    recipients obtained $9.2 million (20 percent) of the Food Stamp
    benefits paid to all naturalized citizens in our review. Similar
    to the pattern in other programs, the amount of Food Stamp
    benefits received by these IRCA individuals is roughly
    proportional to their representation in the population of all
    recently naturalized citizens receiving such benefits (see table
    II.1). Page 25                                     GAO/HEHS-99-102
    Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix II Benefit Use by
    Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 Naturalized Citizens
    Table II.1: Benefits Received by IRCA-Naturalized Citizens in 1997
    Percentage Percentage            of all Total            of all
    recently Number             benefits         recently
    naturalized Source of              of       (millions of
    naturalized       recipient Program                  data
    recipients            dollars)a      recipients        benefits
    SSI                      National           5,181
    $20.8              6.7             6.3 Medicaid
    Calif.b          21,737                22.5            26.6
    17.8 Fla.b              1,704                  3.1            9.7
    7.2 Ill.                 789                  2.0          23.8
    18.6 N.Y.c              3,176               11.7            11.7
    9.6 Tex.               1,478                  4.1          25.2
    24.6 Subtotal                                  28,884
    43.4            21.3d           13.6d TANFe
    Calif.             6,371                  8.2          31.7
    29.6 Fla.                 442                  0.6          25.4
    24.0 N.Y.                 991                  1.5          13.5
    13.2 Tex.                 429                  0.2          48.0
    46.5 Subtotal                                    8,233
    10.5            27.4d           25.0d Food stampse
    Calif.             9,837                  5.1          36.0
    33.4 Fla.               1,935                  1.0          11.7
    9.3 Ill.                 696                  0.3          27.9
    23.5 N.Y.               2,480                  1.3          10.8
    9.9 Tex.               3,230                  1.4          40.3
    34.0 Subtotal                                  18,178
    9.2          23.5c           20.5c Total
    $83.9 aSum of entries may not total because of rounding. bMedicaid
    data for California and Florida were obtained from HCFA's Medicaid
    Statistical Information System. cMedicaid data for New York are
    for fiscal year 1997. dAverage across the states that provided
    data for this program. eFood Stamp and TANF data are estimates
    based on average payment per recipient, per month. Page 26
    GAO/HEHS-99-102 Benefits to Naturalized Citizens Appendix III
    Major Contributors to This Report Jeremy Cox, Evaluator-in-Charge,
    (202) 512-7215 Paula Bonin Robert DeRoy Abbey Frank Carol Dawn
    Petersen Vanessa Taylor Wayne Turowski Jim Wright Fred Yohey
    (207036)         Page 27                         GAO/HEHS-99-102
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