How family physicians can help patients whose food stamps are suspended

Last week, I had a patient interaction that I keep thinking about. I see her, unfortunately, infrequently. She’s a single person in her 40s with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, and she has been struggling to maintain employment. As a result, she has fragmented care because of the things that are happening outside the clinic impacting her income and her free time. 

Even though she had been recently laid off and her A1c level was increasing, the first thing she shared with me was about her SNAP benefit. In her words, it was causing her a “great deal of anxiety” and that she was “not sure how she’s going to get by.” 

As family physicians, we know that chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes are largely preventable or treatable. But we can tell our patients about what medications they should take all we like; when our patients are worried about putting food on the table, they simply can’t focus on their medical conditions.  

With SNAP benefits halting on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown, medical professionals all across the country will encounter more situations like I did with my patient last week. Fortunately, there are resources that we can use in the clinic.  

Who’s using SNAP benefits?

SNAP, also called food stamps, is a program that's often misunderstood. And especially in today’s news climate, there are a lot of opinions that are not based in fact. 

I work as a medical director at a federally qualified health center in New York City, and therefore our team sees a diverse patient population. We treat the full spectrum of patients—infants, kids, adults and all who are susceptible to food insecurity at different life stages. 

Naturally, we see a lot of folks who are using community resources. And we’re trying to highlight for ourselves, for our staff, for our communities and for anyone who can listen on social media, that SNAP is providing an essential food benefit for folks who have limited income.

It takes a lot to qualify for SNAP. Eligibility is very strict, and it’s only available to citizens or lawful permanent residents. Children also encompass a large cohort of those who use SNAP. To qualify financially, you need to be deep in poverty, in other words. Your patients who use food stamps don’t have many other options.  

Neighborhood Navigator and other resources you can use

Research shows that food stamps can help get people out of poverty. They’re also associated with improving long-term community health. With SNAP pausing indefinitely, more patients will need access to non-food stamp food assistance.

This is where family physicians and our clinics can step in to help. I’ve had clinicians   asking us what resources are available. That’s the first thing on their mind and the first thing they’re talking to us about this week. What are we going to do? What are we prepared to do?

One of the key pieces of information I’ve been guiding both clinicians and patients to is the Neighborhood Navigator tool. It’s a great, interactive tool. At the point of care, we plug in the patient’s ZIP code and we’re able to gather a list of pantries, kitchens, food banks and other resources. 

I also like that the Neighborhood Navigator lets you submit suggestions about other resources to be added to the tool. For example, there’s a council member in our neighborhood on the Upper West Side that has a fresh food program. It’s a pay-as-you-go subscription to get access to low-cost healthy produce and fresh foods. Hopefully, more programs like these pop up—and with Neighborhood Navigator, your patients will be able to learn about them.

To help, you have to know

One of the great things about family medicine is the variety of types and locations of clinics across the United States. Not all family medicine practices will serve the same demographics, and therefore some family physicians and their teams might be asking what they can do to help in each unique community.  

I think the first step on this road is asking your patients if they have any food insecurity, because it may not be obvious. We’re fortunate in our health system that we’ve integrated screenings for food security into our patient intake process. Neighborhood Navigator is even embedded into our EHR. 

It can definitely be overwhelming to brainstorm how to address this for the first time and figure out what tools are available. But the good news is that the starting line is simple: Begin screening or expand screening for social determinants of health. Then, start using Neighborhood Navigator and other AAFP resources. 

I also recommend getting involved at least somewhat at your local level. Follow a newsletter from your local representative and explore what’s going on in your community. The fall season is a season of food drives and pantry drives. 

And finally, I think one clear concept is important: empathy. It’s not just patients who could have food insecurity and be reliant on SNAP benefits. It could be your staff or their family members. As family physicians, we can positively impact so many people beyond the exam room, and connecting our communities to community resources when times get rough is a straightforward and meaningful way of doing so. 

Chelsea Faso, MD, FAAFP is a family physician, medical director and preceptor. She provides care to New Yorkers at Amsterdam Family Health Center and the Family Health Center of Harlem.