1. The Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013/HR 3102 Impact on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Pamela L. Grimaldi, D.O., FAAFP Health Policy Fellowship 2014 - St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA Introduction Despite increasing obesity in USA, 18 million of Americans don’t have enough to eat. The expired American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 cut SNAP by $11 billion – about $30 per month per family. The recently passed Farm Bill of 2014 will lead to an additional $9 billion dollar cut. 1 The Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013/HR 3102 would cut SNAP by $40 billion more. This bill would decrease eligibility and further cut benefits. Decreasing SNAP benefits would increase hunger in America and may worsen health issues in the food insecure population. 1 History and Background About 15% of the US population is food insecure. In 2012, the $80 billion program served 43.2 million people: 18 million children, approximately 22 million adults, and 4 million seniors. 2 Stakeholders for SNAP Cuts The Republican party – Rep. Frank Lucas, Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee, stated, “SNAP resources have been stretched because this administration has encouraged states to take liberties in how the program is administered.” Large farming conglomerates that receive farm and insurance subsidies such as Monsanto and Cargill. H.R. 3102 would cause 1.8 million people to lose benefits per year between 2014-2015, a total of 14 million people over 9 years. The bill would increase work restrictions and time limits, causing 7 million people to lose benefits. The bill would stop automatic SNAP eligibility for people who receive energy assistance, affecting 850,000 households and decreasing benefits by $90 per month. 5 Increased food insecurities Projected increase in poverty rate of 0.5% Higher rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease Increased costs of health care Economic decline due to unhealthy adults and decreased potential of children Recommendations NAY vote on HR 3102. Yay vote for The Food Security Improvement Act of 2013/H.R. 2384 which would require SNAP to be calculated using the low cost food plan, increasing family benefits by $195 per month. References 1.Library of Congress. Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013, www.Thomas.loc.gov. Accessed January 14, 2013. 2.Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the PEW Charitable Trusts. Healthy Impact Project, White paper on the impact of proposed changes to SNAP (2013). www.rwjf.org. Accessed January 4th, 2014. 3.FamiliesUSA. The Voice for Health Care Consumers,: The New 2014 Federal Poverty Guidelines. February, 2014. Available at http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines. Accessed May 28, 2014. 4.Partnerships for America’s Economic Success, Reading, Writing and Hungry: The Consequences Of Food Insecurity On Children, And On Our Nation’s Economic Success. November 2008 Issue Brief #8. www.health partnership for success.org. Accessed January 4, 2014. 5.Congressional Budget Office. HR 3102 Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act of 2013. www.CBO.gov. Accessed February 25, 2014. Impact of Food Insecurity on Health and Development Food insecurity leads to an increased incidence of obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease in adults as well as obesity, mental health issues, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder in children. 3rd graders who were food insecure showed a 13% drop in reading and math test scores since kindergarten when compared to their food-secure peers. Hungry children are also twice as likely to need and receive special education services and more likely to have to repeat a grade. 4 The US spent $67 billion in medical costs related to food insecurity in 2005. This cost will only increase over the next decade if food insecurity increases. 4 Stakeholders against SNAP Cuts The Pew Charitable Trust and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Impact Project determined that the health of Americans would be affected negatively by SNAP cuts and recommended increasing the asset limit used to qualify for SNAP, extending the phase-in if SNAP cuts were passed, and monitoring the health effects of future SNAP cuts. The American Enterprise Institute American Academy of Pediatrics American Public Health Association The National Grocers Association National Association for the Advancement of Colored People AARP Coalition of over 100 organizations opposed to cuts to SNAP specific to the Farm bill SNAP Benefits and Beneficiaries SNAP benefits are available to households with incomes <130% of federal poverty level (about $30,000 for family of four). 3 In 2011 the average benefit was $134 per person per month. In 2011 SNAP served one out of seven Americans. 40% of SNAP participants living in households work and 75% receive benefits for a year or less. 2