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Panel details how SNAP reductions could harm seniors, children and outlines mitigation steps
Summary
Health and social‑service presenters warned that reduced SNAP eligibility or benefits would increase food insecurity among seniors and children, worsen health outcomes and strain schools and food banks; they recommended expanding elderly nutrition services, piloting Medicaid food‑as‑medicine programs, and making school breakfast funding permanent.
Speakers from health, senior services and child‑welfare groups told the committee that SNAP reductions would ripple across health and education systems and urged a mix of near‑term state steps and federal advocacy.
Britney (senior‑services presenter) said streamlined eligibility changes removed about 21,000 seniors from an expedited track; many now must meet able‑bodied work or volunteer requirements (about 80 hours a month) or reapply through the regular process, creating enrollment and transportation barriers that increase food insecurity.
“Those 21,000 people are now working their way through our system,” Britney said, noting many lack transportation or paperwork and that denying benefits can raise downstream Medicaid and hospital costs. Committee staff estimated an inpatient hospital admission can average about $8,500, while outpatient visits average about $90 — figures used to illustrate potential public‑cost consequences of malnutrition.
Casey, focused on child impacts, said school meal access depends on SNAP participation through direct certification and warned that declines in SNAP participation would reduce schools’ ability to use Community Eligibility Provision and could force more children to complete free/reduced applications. “Food banks cannot replace SNAP,” Casey said. “For every one meal provided through food banks, SNAP provides approximately nine meals.”
The committee discussed state responses that could meaningfully reduce harm if federal relief is unavailable: increase funding to the Elderly Nutrition Program and home‑delivered meals, explore Medicaid demonstration waivers for food‑as‑medicine pilots in targeted counties, expand Double Up Food Bucks and produce‑prescription models, and make school breakfast funding more permanent and broadly available so districts can sustain community eligibility.
Committee leaders agreed to incorporate these mitigation recommendations into their report for state and congressional leaders and to identify potential state budget offsets or grant matches to scale pilot programs.
