What’s In Your Safety Net?

We hear the term "safety net" frequently – but what does it mean? In health and human services, "safety net" is used in two ways. In the first, the "safety net" is the available health care services, typically funded by grants, available to consumer without health insurance or the ability to pay for those services. This includes services funded by grant funding to Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), subsidized drug programs, grant funding to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and hospital disproportionate share dollars for uncompensated emergency.

The second use of the term "safety net" is generally used by policymakers – the . . .