60 or over was more than four times survivors of deceased, insured work- of this group is not known for Feb- as large as in the corresponding ers. Old-age assistance recipients in ruary 1951, but reports to the Bureau quarter of 1949; for men, it was the 48 States and the District of of Public Assistance show that in about three times as large. Columbia in that month numbered the group accounted The absolute and relative number 2,752,OOO. In February 1950, aged for 13 percent of the aged old-age of elderly applicants, which had been beneficiaries numbered 2,007,OOO and and survivors insurance load and 10 declining steadily since 1943, swung old-age assistance recipients num- percent of the old-age assistance sharply upward in 1950. The 81,000 bered 2,742,OOO. load in that month. applications received from persons Some beneficiaries whose income Since States vary considerably in aged 60 and over represented a rise from insurance benefits and other opportunities to work in covered em- of 62 percent over 1949; they formed sources was not large enough to ployment, large differences may be 2.8 percent of all applications, a pro- cover their essential needs were in expected in the relative size of the portion larger than in any other year receipt of supplementary old-age as- two programs, State by State. In since 1946. Although more men than sistance and therefore appeared on February 1951, assistance recipients women aged 60 and over applied for the rolls of both programs. The size still outnumbered aged insurance account numbers, the proportion of women applicants in this age group Number of persons aged 65 and over receiving old-age and survivors insurance benefits and number of old-age assistance recipients, continental United increased to 45 percent, as against States, by relation to aged population1 and by State, February 1951 40 percent and 39 percent, respec- - tively, in 1949 and 1948. Number of Old-age and ( persons aged survivors IId-age sssist- )ld-age ass&t- During 1950, account numbers 65 and over Number of iIlSUE3IlC~ nce recipients i a nce recipients were issued to 319,000 Negroes-158,- state receiving old-age beneficiaries per 1,000 F,er 100 old-we old-age and assistance per 1,000 per- persons aged md survive% 000 men and 161,000 women (tables survivors recipients sons aged 65 and over il n.wran~e aged insurance 2 65 and over beneficiaries 2 and 4). This total represented an _- increase of 23 percent over 1949, as Total-. . . .._.__._ 2,781,711 2,752,158 225.8 223.4 compared with a decline of 16 per- - -- Alabama.. ._.. ._. .__ 31,180 81,400 173.2 452.2 261 cent from 1948 to 1949. Negroes Arizona-.. ._.._..._.._. 9,437 14,575 213.3 329.4 154 Arkansas- _._...... _.__. 18,848 68,904 126.5 462.4 366 formed 11 percent of all applicants- California...... _ .-_ 238,809 273,964 275.4 316.0 115 the same as in the preceding year. Colorado. .._...... _.._ 22, of2 47,743 193.5 418.8 216 Connecticut ...... _... 58,069 19,983 331.8 114.2 34 Delaware~...... _ 6,830 1,593 295.5 60.5 2.3 District of Columbia- _ 10,189 2,842 175.7 49.0 28 Florida- _ _. ..-.. ._ __ 61,714 69,422 289.7 325.9 112 Georgia-. _-. 30,391 102,042 140.0 470.2 336 Idaho-. ____ _.._...... 7,940 11,450 182.4 263.0 Aged OASI Beneficiaries Illinois . ..__ -_.~.__-...- 184,074 118,420 245.1 157.7 Indiana---- __.____ 82,201 50,626 208.1 128.2 Outnumber OAA Iowans.-..-...... -.... 38,584 49,070 141.2 179.6 Kansas-.-.-...... -... 28,097 39,019 144.7 2cil.9 Recipients Kentucky- _._...... 35,280 67,270 151.4 288.7 Louisiana_ ~..~ 26,682 118,591 163.7 727.6 Maine-.-.-...- . . . .._._ 26,390 15,307 282.0 163.6 During February 1951 the number Maryland~ ...... 37,772 11,672 224.8 69.5 of aged persons receiving old-age and Massachusetts.. ~. _. _.- 146,347 102,072 323.8 225.8 survivors insurance benefits caught Michigan- _. .- ._._. -... 119,883 97,357 264.6 214.9 81 Minnesota---..-.-- ._._ 46,174 55,337 160.3 192.1 120 up with and passed the number re- Mississippi . .._.... 13,108 60,897 92.3 428.9 465 Missouri--.- .._.. -- 72,179 132,318 169.4 310.6 183 ceiving old-age assistance. The event Montana.... _._... _... 8,858 11, MO7 174.1 232.0 133 Nebraska-- .._. ~._ __... 16,137 23,034 123.8 176.7 143 is significant, marking as it does the Nevada--...- . .._._.. ~. 2,864 2,728 242.5 248.3 long-awaited emergence of the in- New Hampshire...~--. 16, <567 7,414 286.2 128.1 ‘ii New Jersey. _. . ..__. -.. 122,275 23,760 300.4 58.4 surance system as the larger of the New Mexico-...... _.. 4,110 10,470 128.4 327.2 2:: two programs under the Social Se- New York_..-- --_ 354,358 116,843 275.8 90.9 33 curity Act that provide income to North Carolina.... .-. 34,281 61,490 152.1 272.9 179 North Dakota----...m. 3,748 9,070 77.8 188.2 242 aged persons. This goal, a major ob- Ohio ...... -.- _._.. 182,781 121,618 241.1 160.4 67 Oklahoma- _ . . . .._.._. 24,646 99,351 127.1 512.4 403 * jective of Congress in the enactment Oregon . . .._~..~ .._.... 37,883 23,544 . 2X4.8 177.0 62 of the Social Security Act Amend- Paunylvania-.- .._.... 256,915 82,994 285.1 92. 1 32 RhodeIsland~.~~.-...- 25,585 9,956 3Y3.6 153.2 39 ments of 1950, was attained 6 months South Citrolinx ._.__ -.. 15,5io 42,118 135.4 366.2 270 after the new legislation was ap- South Dakota- .- .__... 5,148 12,223 93.1 221.1 237 proved and 5 months after the com- TCIlll%33.-.- -._ 32,658 66,080 140. s 284.8 202 TCSUS...... ~ 69,439 224,045 132.8 428.4 323 ing into effect of the liberalized eli- 7Jt;th~ ...... 8,540 9,891 201.3 233.2 116 Vcr1110nt...... 8,6X3 6,965 219.6 176 2 80 gibility and benefit conditions. Virginian ...... --...-.- 36, 274 19,686 173.6 94.2 At the end of February, 2,‘773,000 Washington -.-.-.. 58,235 71,863 267.1 329.6 1:: West Virginian .- 32,857 26,640 237. 2 192.3 81 persons ,65 years of age and over in Wisconsin.-. .-. .- 67,874 52,306 219.0 168.7 77 Wyonling. .._....._._.. 3,385 4,388 186.3 241.6 130 the continental United States were - - receiving old-age and survivors in- 1 Based on Bureau of the Census data on popula- parent’s benefits. Includes about 9,ooO women surance benefits either as retired tion aged 65 and over, ; partly estimated. under age 65 receiving wife’s benefits; distribution 1 Persons receiving old-age benefits, wife’s or hus- not available by State. workers, their aged wives, or aged band’s beneEts, widow’s or widower’s benefits, and

Bulletin, August 1951 13 beneilciaries in 29 States. In such ous as recipients of old-age assist- lower recipient rate in old-age as- predominantly agricultural States as ance. sistance and as a result have more Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia, State variation with respect to the aged beneficiaries than assistance assistance recipients outnumbered relative number of aged insurance recipients. Other States, despite a aged insurance beneficiaries 3 or beneficiaries and old-age assistance high beneficiary rate, may have more more to 1. At the other extreme were recipients reflects also the effect of assistance recipients than aged in- such industrial States as New Jersey, the eligibility conditions for old-age surance beneficiaries. In February Pennsylvania, and New York, in assistance. States with a relatively 1951, Virginia was an example of which aged insurance beneficiaries low beneficiary rate because of their States in the first group, California were at least three times as numer- rural character may have an even of those in the second group.

STANDARDS FOR INSTITUTIONS the Veterans Administration, the State standard-setting activities. Children’s Bureau, and the Division The suggested recommendations cov- (Continued from page 2) of Medical and Hospital Resources ered many phases of the problem- requirement, which applies only of the Public Health Service. basic community organization and when the State public assistance Plan The group reviewed and com- interagency relationships in a provides for payment of assistance mented on a draft policy statement standard-setting program: the as- to needy individuals in any kinds of interpreting the scope and limita- sistance agency’s responsibility and institutions. Under the amendment tions of the amendment and the contribution in establishing and a State public assistance plan must specific requirements for approval of maintaining standards and the ‘I . . . effective July 1, 1953, provide, State plans. Early in the discussion methods the State agency can adopt if the plan includes payments to in- it became clear that there are two to ensure that the amendment is dividuals in private or public institu- separate aspects of the amendment: being implemented; State legislation tions, for the establishment or desig- (1) the specific responsibilities of for standard-setting; the definition nation of a State authority or au- the State public assistance agency of an institution; groups and types thorities which shall be responsible under the amendment, and (2) the of institutions that should be under for establishing and maintaining general responsibilities and concern the jurisdiction of the standard-set- standards for such institutions.” of the agency, as well as other groups ting authority; and criteria for deter- The purpose of the meeting was and individuals, for participation in mining that standards are being to discuss the significance of the community effort to establish and maintained. amendment and to give the Bureau maintain standards. As a next step in implementing this of Public Assistance the benefit of Particular concern was expressed amendment the Bureau plans to re- national, State, and local thinking about the scope of the amendment, vise the draft policy item so that it on the problems of policy and oper- the definition or interpretation of will reflect the discussion and to ation that are involved in setting the word “institution” as used in make a summary of the discussion standards. Though the amendment the amendment, and the exclusion and the revised draft available ta the does not become effective for 2 years, and inclusion of types or groups of participants and to all State public the State agencies need to do pre- institutions in the State plan. Ques- assistance agencies. During the com- liminary planning for it. tions were raised concerning the in- ing months, arrangements will be At the meeting were representa- clusion of hospitals and public made for joint planning and discus- tives of public and private groups homes, and suggestions were made sion with representatives of public and agencies who are currently en- by various members of the group as and private agencies to follow up the gaged in standard-setting activities. to possible rewriting of portions of work accomplished at the meeting. They included State administrators; the draft policy material for pur- At the end of a year the same group State directors of licensing and poses of clarification. will be called together again to ana- standard-setting authorities; and On the second day the participants lyze the results of the year’s planning representatives of national religious met in two working groups to prepare and discussion. On the basis of this groups, fraternal organizations, the a suggested list of recommendations analysis, the Bureau of Public As- National Committee on Aging, pri- to the States. One group discussed sistance will write the policy state-’ vate hospital and operators’ associa- the role of the State public assistance ment in final form for use by the tions, State departments of health, agency, and the other the goal of State public assistance agencies.

14 Social Security