The National WIC Association, Urban Institute, and the Commonwealth Fund have all recently written about the economic impact of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program that is specifically for moms and babies. In January, the media released a leaked list of areas where House Republicans were looking to save money by cutting mandatory spending by at least $2.5 trillion as detailed by CCF colleague, Edwin Park. The House-passed budget resolution targets the two committees with jurisdiction over Medicaid and SNAP with large cuts that will lead to damaging cuts and shifting costs to states. The WIC program was not explicitly mentioned on the leaked list of cuts, but WIC – and the women and children who rely on the program – could still be impacted by cuts to Medicaid due to what is called “adjunctive eligibility.”
Adjunctive eligibility is a common-sense policy that reduces red tape on families by allowing families to be deemed income-eligible for the WIC program as long as they can show proof of their participation in any government program that also is based on income eligibility, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Medicaid. Because of this link, cuts to Medicaid or SNAP would create additional red tape barriers for families seeking WIC services, requiring them to again show proof of income and increasing government red tape. Nearly 80% of WIC participants are also covered by Medicaid. The Commonwealth Fund published an issue brief that included a table on the economical impact of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP for each state.
Draconian cuts would not only impact adjunctive eligibility for the WIC program, but would also negatively impact the budgets and well-being of young families that rely on any government programs. Voters name rising costs as a major issue in the U.S.– more than 50% of families with children live paycheck to paycheck. Nearly half of families with children struggle to afford diapers. SNAP helps families put food on the table and Medicaid provides access to health care– these are even more critical today with the rising costs of basic necessities. With about 40% of children under 18 being enrolled in Medicaid, scaling back on Medicaid would have a ripple effect on the health and development of children, add to parental stress, and exacerbate maternal depression. According to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health 1 in 5 women are affected by a maternal mental health disorder during pregnancy or within the first year after childbirth and is linked to economic instability. With nutrition and health care programs providing basic economic support, additional cuts could add costs, stress, and additional instability to already-struggling families.
Massive cuts to Medicaid would have catastrophic effects on families who already find it difficult to get by and also create additional barriers to food and nutrition support during pregnancy and early childhood. As more and more families struggle to make ends meet, leaders should focus on improving access to nutrition and health programs rather than destabilizing them.