A new mapping project offers a close look at how families across Pennsylvania could be affected by major cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, the nation’s largest health and food assistance programs.
SNAP is the most extensive child anti-hunger program. More than 309,000 SNAP households in Pennsylvania include children, making them among the most vulnerable to food assistance cuts.
Becky Ludwick, vice president of public policy at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said more than 1 million Pennsylvania families could lose some or all of their SNAP benefits, while many also risk losing access to essential health care through Medicaid.
“Over 40% of kids who live in Pennsylvania are enrolled in Medicaid for their health insurance,” Ludwick explained. “When people talk about Medicaid, we want to make sure that children are not overlooked, because they are a pretty big piece of the enrollment when we look at that program.”