My heart hurts for the 42 million Americans whose daily lives and well-being depend on The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to put food on the table. Over the past few months, they have been hit by an unprecedented tidal wave of benefit reductions and inflation challenges that are only worsening food insecurity and raising the hunger cliff in America.
As a single mom who survived on food stamps and lived in a food desert, I have personally experienced just how detrimental these regulations can be to one’s health. As the CEO and founder of a company that partners with health insurers like Medicare and Medicaid to deliver fresh foods to these at-risk Americans, I’ve seen how limiting access to supplement food plans will increase healthcare costs for everyone.
It all started back in March of this year when the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) came to a close. Once that happened, so did extended federal aid on SNAP benefits. This reduced financial support in grocery purchases by $95-250 a person–not to mention this happened as inflation drove the cost of food up by 11%, the biggest annual increase since the 1980s.
Just this morning, the House and Senate passed the debt ceiling bill up to President Biden. Long-marginalized groups will once again face reductions in federal aid with the deal imposing work requirements as an additional regulation for SNAP access. Forcing already hungry people to get a job in order for them to receive food, a basic human right, will send ripple effects across other government programs.
What many don’t know is that 65% of SNAP beneficiaries are parents who are at home, caring for their children, many of whom are single mothers, just like I was, 11 short years ago.
Meanwhile, 36% of people reliant on SNAP benefits are elderly or disabled, unable to perform the jobs that might be available to them. These individuals face insurmountable obstacles just trying to land a job–such as the cost of child care, health insurance, and fuel while on a minimum wage salary.
The deal may look good on paper, but there are several reasons why reducing access to SNAP is only going to fuel skyrocketing healthcare costs for Americans.
Social determinants of health (SDoH) face setbacks
Even if SNAP benefits allowed participants to purchase healthy foods, there are still many people living in food deserts where their only source of food is what’s available to them at a bodega around the corner of their homes. At the end of the day, an individual’s zip code is more predictive of their health outcomes than their genetic code.
With all of these factors at play, 42 million Americans are at odds on how to live a healthy life. Each month, they have to decide between paying rent, buying food, or taking their medication.
The government, health insurers, and companies like ours which work with Medicare and Medicaid programs must step in to address issues such as food insecurity and health disparities. If these already cost-sensitive households are forced to further sacrifice to put food on the table, we will have regressed in our efforts to make a more equitable health system, leaving Medicare and Medicaid programs to pick up the pieces.
Addressing SDoH issues not only helps the economy and health system, it literally saves lives and improves health outcomes.
End-of-month emergency room admissions spike as people look for a meal
As it stands, SNAP benefits already fall short of what the average household needs to maintain a healthy diet. Oftentimes, these benefits are drained by the end of the month, leaving Americans facing food insecurity in a difficult position. This is driving them directly to the hospital for a warm bed and free meal, according to studies from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which uncovered that emergency room admissions tend to spike toward the end of the month.
On average, these admissions can cost tens of thousands of dollars a visit, and they account for up to 10% of healthcare expenditures, according to a study on Food Insecurity, Health Utilization, and High Cost by the National Institute of Health. The patients aren’t the only ones hurting from these monthly hospital visits, as these fees come directly out of taxpayers’ pockets. It begs the question: Why reduce and regulate, when offering more SNAP dollars will solve other healthcare and economic issues?
Food insecurity increases the prevalence of chronic metabolic conditions
A 2021 economic study by the U.S. The Department of Agriculture found that food insecurity affects 10% of American households–that’s nearly 39 million people relying on unhealthy, energy-dense foods. Unable to afford vegetables and lean proteins, those living under food insecurity have a diet consisting of calorie-dense, heavily processed, and packaged foods, leading to weight gain and the development of chronic conditions.
Studies have proven a direct correlation between food insecurity and these metabolic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which have significantly higher rates of healthcare use and hospital admissions. These conditions are costly to manage and can be prevented and managed through diet. Diabetes is the most expensive chronic condition in our nation and is responsible for $1 out of every $4 spent on healthcare. By continuing to cut SNAP dollars, we are only worsening food insecurity, leading to poor diet choices, and an increase in chronic conditions.
Ashley Tyrner is the CEO and founder of FarmboxRx, a food-as-engagement company that pioneered delivering fresh fruits and vegetables as a covered Medicare and Medicaid health intervention. FarmboxRx engages members in their health outcomes by rewarding them for better management of their physical state, disease, and well-being. Since founding FarmboxRx, Ashley’s primary focus has been driving change within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for a more whole-person care approach, and providing benefits that drive behavior change, and address social determinants of health, and food insecurity.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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