Reprinted from Keystone State News
As President-elect Donald Trump takes office, federal safety net programs such as Medicaid, CHIP and SNAP, which support 85 million low-income Americans, may face cuts to reduce inflation and debt.
In Pennsylvania, 40% of the child population is covered through Medicaid.
Carolyn Myers, communications director for Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said Medicaid has been instrumental in reducing the child uninsured rate. Cuts to the program will threaten coverage and benefits to the 1.2 million children currently enrolled in Pennsylvania.
“They don’t have access to the comprehensive health benefits package that Medicaid offers, which identifies early problems, regular well-child visits, immunizations, tracking physical mental development, blood lead testing and dental, vision and hearing screenings,” Myers outlined. “It then provides the appropriate treatment and medical care needed for the child.”
Myers emphasized Medicaid enrollment is open year-round, allowing families to access essential health care. She highlighted health care coverage has significantly improved children’s health and graduation rates and cutting funding could jeopardize the vital benefits.
Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, said cuts to the program will have widespread effects as Medicaid is the largest source of federal funds coming into state budgets.
“Medicaid accounts for about 56% of all federal money that is flowing to states,” Alker pointed out. “If we do see big cuts to Medicaid, that will affect all areas of states’ budget, not just their health budget.”
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could face cuts as well.
Mayra Alvarez, president of the Children’s Partnership, said the proposed changes outlined in Project 2025 could make the program harder to access while increasing inefficiencies. She added each SNAP dollar generates $1.54 in economic activity.
“SNAP or food stamps, it’s our nation’s first line of defense against hunger,” Alvarez asserted. “It provides more than 40 million people with the financial assistance they need to put food on the table every month without adequate access to food, stress or health outcomes and increased debt are likely to occur.”
As of September, SNAP provided more than $367 million in federally funded food assistance to over 2 million people in Pennsylvania.
