Dear Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, House Speaker Mariano, and Senate President Spilka:
As more than 350 healthcare providers across the state of Massachusetts, we write again out of deep concern that tens of thousands of children and families are at risk of experiencing greater food insecurity unless the Commonwealth acts swiftly to improve access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
We urge the Administration and Legislature to invest in Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) staffing and administrative capacity, and to reduce unnecessary verification requirements that create barriers to SNAP enrollment and retention, ensuring eligible families can access and maintain the nutrition assistance they need to be healthy.
Like a Prescription, SNAP Protects Health
SNAP, our nation’s largest evidence-based nutrition program, reduces food insecurity and is a crucial foundation for child health. Approximately 900,000 Massachusetts residents use SNAP to purchase the foods they need to feed themselves and their families, averaging to $314 per household, or roughly $10 per household per day.
Participating in SNAP protects children and their families from the harmful, costly health consequences of food insecurity. Research shows that children living in food insecure households are more likely to be hospitalized, to have low birthweight, to develop asthma and anemia, to experience developmental delays, and to fall behind in school. With 80% of brain development occurring within the first three years of life, infants and toddlers are particularly sensitive to the effects of food insecurity–which do not present months or years later, but just after a few days and weeks.
Household food insecurity is also linked with parental depression, anxiety, and increased stress, which in turn impacts child health and development. Among adults, food insecurity is associated with a higher risk of poor health and worsened chronic disease management.
Oftentimes, families experiencing food insecurity are forced to make impossible budget tradeoffs, like skipping prescription medications, delaying medical care, or forgoing other basic necessities in order to afford food. These circumstances can create a cycle of unmet needs, which further contributes to worse health. When patients show up to our clinics with health complications that can arise from food insecurity, like worsened hypertension or diabetes, the level of care needed to treat and stabilize the patient is high. The cost of increased staffing, more advanced medical interventions, and potential hospital stays are considered “avoidable” healthcare costs because they are preventable if food insecurity is wholly addressed before the symptoms of disease progress. Avoidable costs add up: researchers have estimated the avoidable healthcare costs related to food insecurity in the United States to total $237 billion annually. In Massachusetts alone, this cost was $2.4 billion in 2018 – an estimate that has likely ballooned due to increased costs and inflation. This cost does not just affect patients experiencing food insecurity, but all of us. Healthcare is inherently a system of pooled risk, with the cost of care needed to care for sicker patients passed onto all patients via increased health insurance premiums and increased cost at point of service.
As healthcare providers, we take an oath to do no harm and to care for and protect our patients. However, healthcare alone cannot treat the harmful effects of food insecurity. We need to work in partnership with strong and accessible nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, to ensure all children and families in Massachusetts are able to meet their needs for enough nutritious food to grow and protect health.
Policy Drivers of SNAP Access Issues
In July 2025, Congress passed H.R 1, ushering in the largest cuts to SNAP in the history of the program. Starting in fall 2027, Massachusetts will likely be required to cover a share of SNAP benefits costs for at least two federal fiscal years. In Massachusetts, these changes are expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars annually. States’ financial obligations will be tied to their SNAP payment error rate (PER), creating strong pressure to rapidly reduce errors.
H.R 1 also expanded SNAP work reporting requirements to many participants who were previously exempt. Data shows that the majority of SNAP participants who can work already do. Research shows these requirements do not increase employment, but rather increase paperwork and administrative complexity for both participants and state agencies.
As a result, caseworkers will spend more time processing applications, verifying eligibility, and managing reporting requirements, while SNAP participants will face additional documentation burdens to maintain benefits. These added burdens increase the risk that eligible families will lose access to needed food assistance.
SNAP Access Crisis in Massachusetts
SNAP access barriers have contributed to an 18% reduction in the number of children participating in SNAP. This puts Massachusetts tied for the third highest percentage of children who have lost access to SNAP since July 2025 at 18% (with Texas), behind only Louisiana (23%) and Arizona (49%).
When children and their families lose SNAP, they are at greater risk of experiencing food insecurity, posing serious risk for harmful, costly health complications, both now and later in life. Losing SNAP can also cause families to lose automatic eligibility for other child food assistance programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and free school meals, reducing access to supports that protect child health and development and contribute to better educational and long-term economic outcomes.
The SNAP caseload decline is not driven by reduced need, but by growing barriers to accessing assistance. Caseloads per worker have increased substantially, leaving fewer staff available to help families navigate the program. At the same time, new administrative requirements under H.R. 1 are increasing the workload for both participants and caseworkers. As a result, many SNAP participants are unable to reach a caseworker for assistance. In 2026, at least 75% of calls trying to reach a worker each month did were automatically disconnected.
Increased Investment is Necessary to Address This Crisis
While there are multiple opportunities to solve this crisis, we urge you to adopt changes that will address the most systemic barriers to accessing SNAP, including:
- Significant investment is needed in DTA to increase staff capacity. Better equipping DTA caseworkers to adequately manage the SNAP caseload will result in both improved customer service and accuracy, helping reduce the state’s PER while maintaining SNAP access for families. This strategy was identified by the Governor’s Anti Hunger Task Force and outlined in a March 2026 Report by Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary Mahaniah, and Commissioner Cole. We recognize and appreciate the hiring of 76 additional caseworkers in January 2026. Looking at the trends 8 months after these added staff, we know further investment in the Department is needed to better serve all eligible SNAP families.
- Limit over-verification of SNAP participants. Increasing unnecessary verification processes beyond what is mandated will only increase administrative burdens for SNAP participants and caseworkers. SNAP has an exceptionally low fraud rate due to its high level of program integrity. DTA already implements rigorous application and eligibility review processes, and SNAP has several measures to assess household eligibility accurately. Households already must reapply for benefits regularly and must report income changes that would affect their eligibility during each reapplication process. Adding additional barriers only increases the likelihood of eligible families losing access to the program.
As healthcare workers who provide care across the state, we alone cannot address the harms of food insecurity. We need strong, accessible nutrition assistance programs, such as SNAP, to ensure all residents can access the food they need to thrive. While SNAP is a federal program, its implementation is guided by state policy choices. We ask to act with urgency and a sense of shared responsibility to solve this access crisis, which will only become more severe if not addressed.
Respectfully,
The Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers
358 individual nurses, physicians, and social workers living and practicing across the Commonwealth:
| Name | City or Town of Residence |
| Erin Gadbois | Abington |
| Beth Eagleson, MD | Amherst |
| George Prodanas, BA | Amherst |
| Megan Patton-Lopez, PhD, RDN | Amherst |
| Jasmine Williams | Andover |
| Carole Allen, MD, MBA, FAAP | Arlington |
| Robert P. Marlin, MD, PhD, MPH | Arlington |
| Roni Mansur, MS | Arlington |
| Colleen Huysman, LICSW | Arlington |
| Lisa Twente, MSW, LICSW | Arlington |
| Hannah Barber Doucet, MD | Arlington |
| Gretchen Dietrich, MD | Arlington |
| Jason Tausek, LICSW | Attleboro |
| Aldrige Awuku, MD | Attleboro |
| Paulina Lange, MBA | Belmont |
| Virginia Morrison, APRN | Belmont |
| Lauren Fiechtner, MD, MPH | Belmont |
| Christine Tardiff, MSW | Beverly |
| Clare Cole, NP | Beverly |
| Sulekho Egal, MD | Billerica |
| Marissa Steinberg, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Emily Kang, BA | Boston |
| Gabriella Woeste, PA | Boston |
| Meghna Nandi, MD | Boston |
| Jennifer VanderWeele, MD | Boston |
| Philip Severin, MD | Boston |
| Madeline French, MBE | Boston |
| Lauren Estess, MD Student | Boston |
| Steven Young, MD | Boston |
| Patricia Giunta, MD | Boston |
| Bronwyn Stone, MD | Boston |
| Olivia Moscicki, MD | Boston |
| Mia Tornel, DO | Boston |
| Victoria Oliva Rapoport, MD | Boston |
| Julia Koehler, MD | Boston |
| Sami Greenberg, LCSW | Boston |
| Mollie Marr, MD, PhD | Boston |
| Jeffrey Wojtowicz, PharmD | Boston |
| Adeliza Olivero, MD | Boston |
| Sari Sanchez | Boston |
| Juliana Morris, MD | Boston |
| Deanna Biddy | Boston |
| Sylvie Tuchman, LICSW | Boston |
| Lauren Glaser, LICSW | Boston |
| Bevin Kenney, MD | Boston |
| William Gleason | Boston |
| Taylor Gonzalez, LICSW | Boston |
| Kiley Schermerhorn | Boston |
| Nicole Driscoll, BS | Boston |
| Samantha Tulenko, MD, PhD | Boston |
| Lindsay Partin, MD | Boston |
| Amanda Sepulveda, BS | Boston |
| Lashanda Skerritt, MD, PhD | Boston |
| Alyssa Serafini, RD | Boston |
| Danielle Brennan, LCSW | Boston |
| Benjamin Maines, MD | Boston |
| Connie Cai, MD | Boston |
| Fathima Mohamed, MD, PhD | Boston |
| Annie Banks, MSW | Boston |
| Megan Harty, MD | Boston |
| Fathia Karim, MD | Boston |
| Avery Lytle, LCSW | Boston |
| Rachel Thompson, MD | Boston |
| Meghan Sullivan, MSW, LICSW | Boston |
| Bethan Jones, LCSW | Boston |
| Gabriela Tew, MSW, LICSW | Boston |
| Katherine Gregory, MD | Boston |
| Emily Feinberg, ScD, CPNP | Boston |
| Netta Cudkevich, MD | Boston |
| Sebastiana Redford, MD, MS | Boston |
| Jessica Goldberg, MD | Boston |
| Autumn Tangney, MSPH | Boston |
| Katelin Blackburn, MD | Boston |
| Sara Stulac, MD | Boston |
| Ndang Azang-Njaah, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Augustine Kang, MD PhD | Boston |
| Heather Hsu, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Christina Su, MD | Boston |
| Mary Grace Fries, MPH | Boston |
| Ella Froggatt, MPA | Boston |
| Navin Kariyawasam, MD | Boston |
| Guadalupe Ramirez, MD | Boston |
| Michael Fischer, MD | Boston |
| Natalie DeLaCruz | Boston |
| Katherine Daniel, MD, MS | Boston |
| Irene Newman Jimenez, MS | Boston |
| Susan Gonzalez, MD | Boston |
| Stephen Klepfer, MD | Boston |
| Kynnedie Maloz, MD | Boston |
| Connie Cai, MD | Boston |
| Lauren Ondrejka, MD | Boston |
| Sahar Choudhry, MPH | Boston |
| Rachel Allen, MD | Boston |
| Tehnaz Boyle, MD, PhD | Boston |
| Abby Temple, MD | Boston |
| Christina Vollbrecht, MA, MS, RDN, LDN | Boston |
| Arielle Spellun, MD | Boston |
| Jessica Rosenblum, MD/MPH Student | Boston |
| Jennifer Bugos, DNP | Boston |
| Jessica Pierre Francois, MD | Boston |
| Gabrielle LeMarier, MSW, LICSW | Boston |
| Cecelia Plaehn, MD | Boston |
| Alleigh Wettstein, MD | Boston |
| Angela Kelly, LMHC | Boston |
| Ella Froggatt, MPA | Boston |
| Brooke Horowitch, MD | Boston |
| Divya Makkapati, MD | Boston |
| Samantha Nuccio, RN | Boston |
| Alexandra Dubinsky, MD | Boston |
| Cathleen Daley | Boston |
| Joanna Cepeda | Boston |
| Kelli Padilla, RN | Boston |
| Courtney Keenan, NP | Boston |
| Anna Rosenquist, MD | Boston |
| Pamela Bellamy, LICSW | Boston |
| Soukaina Adolphe, MD | Boston |
| Sara Stulac, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Katlynn McFarland, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Katarina Watson, MD | Boston |
| Cheryl McSweeney, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Alejandro Aviña-Cadena, MD | Boston |
| Christina Zuniga, CHW-C | Boston |
| Ian Cohn, MD, PhD | Boston |
| Mark Castera, MD | Boston |
| Tasha Freed, MD | Boston |
| Catalina Berenblum Tobi, MD | Boston |
| Sarah McLaughlin, MD, MS | Boston |
| Corinne Beaugard, PhD, LCSW | Boston |
| Rohan Khazanchi, MD, MPH | Boston |
| Mallika Sabharwal, MD | Boston |
| Laurel Gabler, MD, DPhil | Boston |
| Robert Vinci, MD | Boston |
| Ashley Schiffmiller | Braintree |
| Denise Cremins | Braintree |
| Noelle Armstrong | Bridgewater |
| Fedler Felix, CHW | Brockton |
| Emma Takizawa, BS, MA | Brookline |
| Patricia L Maher Maher, RNP | Brookline |
| Aryana Mohtasham Gharagozloo, MD | Brookline |
| Alexis Altman, LICSW | Brookline |
| Kaye-Alese Green, MD, Esq | Brookline |
| Priscilla Wang, MD, MPH | Brookline |
| Karen Greenberg, MD | Brookline |
| Carolyn Rosinsky, MD | Brookline |
| Kaye-Alese Green, MD, Esq | Brookline |
| Anima Shrestha, MD | Brookline |
| Samantha White, MD | Brookline |
| Deborah Frank, MD | Brookline |
| Pooja Vikraman, MD | Brookline |
| Jessica Landau-Taylor, MD | Brookline |
| Nathaniel Mullin, MD, PhD | Brookline |
| Charles Homer, MD, MPH | Brookline |
| Uma Khemraj, MS | Brookline |
| Sofia Warner, MD | Brookline |
| Lea Sheward, MD | Brookline |
| Stefano Rozental, MD | Brookline |
| Emily Cross, MD | Brookline |
| Emma Steinberg, MD | Brookline |
| Jessica Calihan, MD | Brookline |
| Elizabeth Yellen, MD | Brookline |
| Emily Barnard, BA | Brookline |
| Abigail Ortiz, MSW/MPH | Brookline |
| Sahana Jayaraman, MD PhD | Brookline |
| Grier Merwin, MD, MPH | Cambridge |
| Christina Schmidt, MD | Cambridge |
| Omar Wahid, MD | Cambridge |
| Mara Murray Horwitz, MD MPH | Cambridge |
| Dorothy Kelleher, PsyD | Cambridge |
| Michael H. Lewis | Cambridge |
| Debra Rosenblum, MD | Cambridge |
| Anastasia Yang, BA | Cambridge |
| Jenna Quinn, MPH | Cambridge |
| Katy O’Loughlin, MPH | Cambridge |
| Maggie McGean, MD | Cambridge |
| Jaimie DeScioli, MD | Cambridge |
| Avik Chatterjee, MD, MPH | Cambridge |
| Marie-France Hivert, MD | Cambridge |
| Timothy Mikulski, MD | Cambridge |
| Benjamin Delikat, MPH, MBA | Cambridge |
| Mara Murray Horwitz, MD, MPH | Cambridge |
| Bari Brodsky, MD | Cambridge |
| Ligia Fragoso, MD | Cambridge |
| Lauren Doctoroff, MD, MBA | Cambridge |
| Emma Stevens, MD | Cambridge |
| Cordelia Kwon, MPH | Cambridge |
| Mindasari Daniar, RD, MPH | Chelmsford |
| Zainab Basheer, MD | Chelmsford |
| Juan Flores, LICSW | Chelsea |
| Meghan Doherty, LICSW | Colrain |
| David Lyczkowski, MD | Concord |
| Samantha Rosman, MD, MPH | Concord |
| Kim Merry, BA | Danvers |
| Anastasia Maltseva, MD | Dartmouth |
| Hannah Mecaskey Conley, LICSW, LABA, PhD | Dedham |
| Jaclyn Lerner, RD | Dedham |
| Caroline Coughlin, MD PhD | Dedham |
| Megan Hempstead, MPH | Dedham |
| Hannah Mecaskey Conley, LICSW, PhD | Dedham |
| Anna Maria Siega-Riz, PhD | East Longmeadow |
| Mal Petty | Easthampton |
| Stephanie Prior, MD | Falmouth |
| Christine Bryson, DO, MPH | Florence |
| Tiffany Joseph, PhD | Framingham |
| Jill Rosen, LICSW | Framingham |
| Karenjeet Chahal, MD | Gloucester |
| Anna Bottar, MD | Grafton |
| Amanda Sanderson | Greenfield |
| Marguerite Davis, MD | Harvard |
| Hugh Silk, MD | Harvard |
| Evelyn Borges, MD | Haverhill |
| Veronica Pena-Vargas, MS, RN | Haverhill |
| Monique Baxley, MPH | Haverhill |
| Katrina Mitchell, LMHC | Haverhill |
| Lisa Quinn, NP, PhD | Holbrook |
| NIsha Fahey, DO, MS | Holden |
| John DeLoge, MD, MPH | Holliston |
| Micah Webster, MA | Hopedale |
| E. John Lentini, DO | Hull |
| David Woods, MD | Hull |
| Katherine Luzuriaga, MD | Ipswich |
| Cassandra Nytes, MD | Lawrence |
| Alex Zapata, MD | Lawrence |
| Rachel Mott Keis, MD | Lexington |
| Linda Shipton, MD | Lincoln |
| Debbie Callery | Lowell |
| Rebecca Verhulst, RN | Lunenburg |
| Natasha Shah, MD | Lynnfield |
| Meghna Tummala, MD | Malden |
| Kirby Tang, LICSW | Malden |
| Elizabeth Alt, MD, MPH | Manchester |
| Adrian Couture, LICSW | Marblehead |
| Amy Newbery, RN | Marlborough |
| Jeffri Navarro, MA, MS, MS | Marlborough |
| Kathleen Tobin, RN | Marshfield |
| Shannon Bennett, MSW, LCSW | Medford |
| Shayla Parker, MPH | Medford |
| Jenna Faltas, MPH | Medford |
| Steven Bucchianeri, PharmD | Medford |
| Wilfred McCalla, MSW | Medford |
| Andrea Gordon, MD | Melrose |
| Caroline Komanecky, MD | Methuen |
| Nicole Quispe | Methuen |
| Mahbod Kazemarab, MPH | Middleboro |
| Gina D’Ottavio, MD | Milford |
| Megan Nolan, MSN, MBA, RN | Milton |
| Sarah Wright, MSW, LICSW | Nantucket |
| Sheila Owen, LICSW | Nantucket |
| Jesica Pagano-Therrien, PhD, RN, CNP | Natick |
| Courtney Fosberg Brillant, MEd | Natick |
| Rachel Soroka, LICSW | Natick |
| Elise Gottesman, LICSW | Needham |
| Ezra Cohen, MD | Needham |
| Eldric Abreu | New Bedford |
| Annah Powers, LMHC | Newbury |
| SARAH PRIMEAU, MSW, MPH | Newburyport |
| Rebekah Rollston, MD, MPH | Newton |
| Laura Scharf, MD | Newton |
| Michelle Master, MD | Newton |
| Ariella Slovin, MD | Newton |
| Margot Tang, MD, MPH | Newton |
| Priya Garg, MD | Newton |
| Sarah Bagley, MD | Newton |
| Elise Tremblay, MD, MPH | Newton |
| Arvin Garg, MD | Newton |
| Jodi Wenger, MD | Newton |
| Chava Chapman, MPH | Newton |
| Sharon Nerboso, RN, BSN | Norfolk |
| Christopher Garofalo, MD | North Attleborough |
| Kathleen Holdsworth, MHA, BSN, RN | North Grafton |
| Jessica Rosenberg, MPH | Northampton |
| Maria Del Vecchio, MS | Northborough |
| Sydney Hartman-Munick, MD | Northborough |
| Mary Beth Miotto, MD, MPH | Northborough |
| Jori Berger-Greenstein, PhD | Northborough |
| Dawn Gomez | Northbridge |
| Janet Limke, MD | Norwood |
| Karla Mendoza Abarca, PhD | Norwood |
| Amy Costa, MD | Norwood |
| Bonnie Gorman, RN, MS | Quincy |
| Lillian Gomes | Quincy |
| Brennan Dagle, MD | Quincy |
| Caryn Altman, MPH | Quincy |
| Karan Barry, RN, MSN | Quincy |
| Gaenslie Lamour Procope, MBA | Randolph |
| Ellie Richards, PhD | Reading |
| Kristen MacGlashing, MSW, LICSW | Reading |
| Leigh Simmons, MD | Revere |
| Brett Mitchell, MD, MPH | Roxbury |
| Olivia Studley, NP | Salem |
| Josh Levine, LICSW | Salem |
| Lauren Cleveland, MS, MPH | Salem |
| Jordyn Seri | Salisbury |
| Christine Valdes Valdes, MD | Saugus |
| Casandra Leslie, LICSW | Saugus |
| Christina Lazdowsky, NP | Sharon |
| Kira Bona, MD, MPH | Sherborn |
| Mahima Poreddy, MD | Shrewsbury |
| David Larrabee, MD | Shrewsbury |
| Louise Amat, MD | Somerville |
| Logan Beyer, MD/PhD Student | Somerville |
| Gregory Barrett, LMHC | Somerville |
| Marilyn Augustyn Augustyn, MD | Somerville |
| Emma Anderson, MPH | Somerville |
| Caroline Palleschi, LICSW | Somerville |
| Samuel Feuer, BA | Somerville |
| Olivia Winn, BS | Somerville |
| Catherine Hetu, CPNP | Somerville |
| Anna Goldman, MD, MPA, MPH | Somerville |
| Olivia Chatfield, BA | Somerville |
| Marilyn Augustyn, MD | Somerville |
| Dory Ziperstein, LICSW, MPH | Somerville |
| Shannon Watts, MSc | Somerville |
| Aaron Bornstein, MD | South Easton |
| Amreen Shaikh | South Hadley |
| Briana Poole | South Shore |
| Barbara Olendzki, RD, MPH, LDN | Sterling |
| Sunny Kung, MD | Stoneham |
| Susan Kessler, LICSW | Stoneham |
| Anthony Mell, MD | Stoughton |
| Nancy Porter, MBBS | Stow |
| Jennifer Fishbein, MD | Sudbury |
| Mariana Chilton, PhD, MPH | Sunderland |
| Erin Heiskell, MD | Swampscott |
| Kristine Latour Kennedy, MSW, LICSW | Swampscott |
| Lisia Morales, MA | Tewksbury |
| Tara Hammes, RDN | Wakefield |
| Madhav Sharma, MD, FACP | Walpole |
| Karen Kelly, MD | Waltham |
| Kara Huselton, LICSW | Waltham |
| Anderson Lamberto-Wilson, LCSW | Watertown |
| Tiffany Lewallen, LICSW | Watertown |
| Regina LaRocque, MD, MPH | Wellesley |
| Susan Robinson, LICSW | Wellesley |
| Lauren Ameden, MD | Wellesley |
| Julie Herlihy, MD, MPH | Wellesley |
| Elisabeth DiPietro, MD | Weston |
| Christina Meade, MD | Westwood |
| Iris Montijo, CPNP | Westwood |
| Sarah Canale, MD | Winchester |
| Fiona Danaher, MD, MPH | Winchester |
| Sarah Canale, MD | Winchester |
| Catherine Celler, MD | Winchester |
| Kellie Farrell, BS | Woburn |
| Leah Evans Wong, MD | Worcester |
| Diane Blake, MD | Worcester |
| Leah Evans Wong, MD | Worcester |
| Claire Branley, PhD | Worcester |
| Taylor Rich, DHS, MPH | Worcester |
| Clyde Talley, Rev. | Worcester |
| Marlon Velasquez, PMP | Worcester |
| Ariana Perry, MD | Worcester |
| Katherine Faulkner, MD Student | Worcester |
| Stephanie Doan-Soares, DrPH, MPH | Worcester |
| Olivia Schneider, MD | Worcester |
| Willa Kahn, MD | Worcester |
| Jeannette Brook, MD Student | Worcester |
| Christopher Driscoll, MD | Worcester |
| Jason Denoncourt, MD | Worcester |