Food security and health are intrinsically linked, and with 1 in 7 households in America facing hunger, the health of our nation is at risk.
Food is a universal need, and we see at every stage of life the importance of proper nutrition for the success of our society. A hungry baby will keep their parents up all night. A hungry student cannot focus or in school. And a hungry adult is making tradeoffs between food, rent, healthcare, insurance, transportation and more. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid offer critical support to those experiencing food insecurity, particularly children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
In Massachusetts, 29 percent of residents, and 48 percent of children, receive MassHealth (Medicaid) for their healthcare coverage. More than 1 million Massachusetts residents receive SNAP benefits to purchase groceries each month. But this is where Congress has taken aim; advancing a bill to cut funding from our most vulnerable populations and attacking the health and wellbeing of families just trying to put nutritious food on their tables.
Congress’ proposals in the Big Beautiful Bill are in direct contradiction to the promises made through the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign. The MAHA Commission specifically states that it is federal policy “to aggressively combat the critical health challenges facing our citizens, including the rising rates of mental health disorders, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.” The MAHA report is praised by some for acknowledging the need to shift the American diet away from ultra processed foods toward more nutrient dense foods like fruits and vegetables, while simultaneously, the Administration is slashing programs that are needed for millions of Americans to achieve this dietary shift.
The deep cuts to SNAP and Medicaid proposed by Congress undermine our country’s ability to improve the health of millions of people who need it most. When we address food and nutrition security cohesively with healthcare, the results are astounding, and they are consistent. At the statewide food security nonprofit I lead, we have taken one approach as a service provider to addressing these needs cohesively.
In partnership with MassHealth, we connect patients experiencing food insecurity and complex health diagnoses to the resources they need to sustain and improve their health long-term. This includes a single mother who received a blender that allowed her to serve more fruits and vegetables as smoothies to her children, an older woman with diabetes able to lower her A1C levels once nutrition counselors introduced her to new grains and proteins, and a father dealing with stage 4 stomach cancer and unable to work as he and his family applied for SNAP and received additional grocery store gift cards to keep his children fed.
Service providers are able to provide essential wraparound supports—all covered by patients’ health insurance plans. That might mean applying for SNAP if eligible, but it also means nutrition counseling, cooking classes, food vouchers, and kitchen equipment like blenders, utensils, and reusable containers for food storage. Since our program launched in 2020, patients have reported a 19 percent decrease in food insecurity, a 30 percent increase in SNAP participation, and 4 additional servings of fruits & vegetables consumed in a week. Even six months after the program, 84 percent of patients reported high satisfaction and connection with their health care provider, ensuring that they are more likely to keep their appointments and maintain their health outcomes for longer.
This is the work, and these are the people, at risk when the Trump administration promises to make America healthy again but threatens to dismantle the programs that support millions of Americans nationwide. As of June 2025, 25 states, such as Oregon, North Carolina and Arkansas, are currently providing similar supports, addressing health-related social needs like food security and housing through the health care system. And these programs are saving taxpayer funds. The most recent data shows that Massachusetts’ nutrition-focused Flexible Services Program saved US$2,502 in health care costs per adult, exceeding its delivery cost. Participation in the nutrition-focused Flexible Services program was associated with a 23 percent decrease in hospitalizations and a 13 percent decrease in emergency department visits, compared to eligible individuals who did not participate. The healthcare industry is increasingly recognizing that food is medicine—it is an integral part of improving the health of the American people. It is time that our government recognizes the same.
We must protect SNAP and Medicaid to ensure families have access to nutritious foods that will actually improve their health, to ensure children have full bellies and seniors never have to choose between food or medicine to survive. Protecting SNAP and Medicaid improves health in America. We cannot accept cuts that will harm our communities so deeply, and we must let Congress know that these programs are part of the solution—not the problem.
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Photo courtesy of Mark Stosberg, Unsplash
