J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2022;33(2):737-750. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2022.0060.
Prior evidence suggests an association among food insecurity, poor health, and increased health care spending. In this study, we are using a natural experiment to confirm if longer participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is associated with reduced Medicaid spending among a highly impoverished group of adults. In 2013, the mandatory work requirements associated with SNAP benefits were lifted for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). Using 2013 to 2015 Medicaid and SNAP data of 24,181 Minnesotans aged 18-49, we examined if changes in SNAP enrollment duration affect health care expenditures. In fully adjusted within-participant regression models, for each additional month of SNAP, average annual health care spending was $98.8 lower (95% CI: -131.7, -66.0; p<.001) per person. Our data suggests that allowing ABAWDs to receive SNAP even in months they are not working may be critical to their health as well as cost-effective.
先前的证据表明，食物不安全、健康状况不佳和医疗保健支出增加之间存在关联。在这项研究中，我们利用自然实验来证实，长期参与补充营养援助计划（SNAP）是否与高度贫困的成年人中医疗补助支出的减少有关。2013 年，取消了没有家属的（ABAWD）的有劳动能力的成年人的 SNAP 福利的强制性工作要求。使用 2013 年至 2015 年明尼苏达州 18 至 49 岁的 24181 名 Medicaid 和 SNAP 数据，我们研究了 SNAP 登记持续时间的变化是否会影响医疗保健支出。在完全调整的参与者内回归模型中，每增加一个月的 SNAP，每人的平均年度医疗保健支出减少 98.8 美元（95%CI：-131.7，-66.0；p <.001）。我们的数据表明，允许 ABWA 即使在他们不工作的月份也能获得 SNAP，这对他们的健康以及具有成本效益可能是至关重要的。
