Being a doctor is my greatest joy, but it often comes with challenging conversations and heartbreaking realities. This moment in time is one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
As a family medicine and urgent care physician, I’ve started witnessing patients strategizing about how they’ll feed their families after November 1, when SNAP benefits stop. The impact of the SNAP benefit cuts will be devastating for my patients and people around the country. We don’t know how long SNAP will be suspended, but whether it’s a long- or short-term disruption, the instability caused will be detrimental to many households. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one in eight people receives SNAP in the U.S., and nationally, more than 62 percent of SNAP participants are in families with children. Recipients statewide typically receive about $187 a month on a prepaid card to help cover grocery costs. Two-thirds of food-stamp recipients are children, seniors, or people with disabilities. With rising costs, that extra $187 doesn’t go far, but for these families, it’s everything.
SNAP plays a critical role in reducing poverty, improving health and economic outcomes, supporting people on low wages, and serving as the first line of defense against hunger during economic downturns, which means the broader economic consequences extend beyond individual families. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that in a weak economy, $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 in economic activity.
Heartbreaking patient conversations
What was once an abstract policy discussion has become painfully real in my exam room, and I’m determined to put a human face on the impact these suspensions will make.
I had a tear-filled conversation with a young mom this week at the end of her appointment for a respiratory illness. She asked about resources to obtain formula because she knew she couldn’t afford it again when she ran out, and was wondering if it was OK to dilute her baby’s formula to make it last longer.
Other parents have asked if they can switch their baby to cow’s milk before the recommended 12-month mark because they can’t afford formula.
I’ve had to deliver the unfortunate news that switching to cow’s milk early or diluting formula can deprive infants and babies of essential nutrients and affect their growth and development.
I’ve seen heartbreaking videos on social media of moms skipping meals so their children can eat dinner, a testament to the incredible selflessness of parents who work full-time and still struggle to make ends meet, relying on SNAP just to feed their families.
I worry about my patients with multiple chronic illnesses, like diabetes, who will likely skip meals due to financial constraints, and the impact that will have on their health. These people are already making hard decisions between paying for their medications and food. Now we’re making that decision even more impossible.
A week without blood pressure medications could cause someone to have a stroke. A week without insulin can cause ketoacidosis, a severe diabetes complication that would require hospitalization and can be fatal.
These realities, which I anticipate I’ll encounter increasingly over the next few weeks and months, have reminded me of what many families lose sleep over at night, and how much more spread thin their already limited resources will become come November.
Understanding public health
Members of the Trump administration have hammered home their goals to “Make America Healthy Again.” But here’s the issue: There’s a massive difference between wellness and public health, and we’re about to see that gap widen in a way that should concern all of us.
Wellness is personal. It’s the ability to buy the supplement you saw on Instagram, book a yoga retreat, or splurge on organic groceries. Public health is about improving the health of communities by preventing disease, promoting health, and ensuring access to care for all. We use public health measures because they improve the quality of life for everyone living here and help reduce costs and burdens on our communities’ infrastructure. Public health means clean water, disease prevention, and fed families. It’s what allows kids to focus in school and parents to show up for work.
The gap between the haves and have-nots has never been about work ethic. It’s about access.
Working harder isn’t the answer
I keep seeing online videos claiming people just need to “take care of themselves,” as if struggling families simply aren’t trying hard enough. But the gap between the haves and have-nots has never been about work ethic. It’s about access. Access to generational wealth, opportunities, and networks that open doors.
And here’s what I’m watching unfold: Families who could comfortably afford groceries a year ago are now struggling at the checkout. They’ve got the same job, same hours, but inflation has rewritten their budget. They’re not lazy. They’re living paycheck to paycheck, trying to cover the essentials.
So how do we reconcile this? How can we rally around removing food dyes and optimizing wellness routines while simultaneously pulling the rug out from under pregnant moms, babies, and kids who just need enough to eat? If we truly want everyone to achieve their best health, then we need to start with the fundamentals. Not the latest trend. Not the next supplement. Food. Stability. The basics.
How you can help
We can make our voices heard by contacting our elected officials, and we can support those in our local neighborhoods by donating food or money to a local food bank. They know what’s most in demand and what people need, and they have access to significant discounts to make your money stretch further.
If you want to do your own shopping, opt for items that are most popular at food pantries, such as peanut butter, pasta and sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, and soups. Keep in mind that many food-insecure homes have parents working odd hours, so children are often left at home to cook for themselves. You can help them by buying cans with easy-to-open tabs, such as soup, microwaveable mac n’ cheese, oatmeal, instant noodles, rice, or pasta pouches, as well as canned tuna or chicken. Kids also enjoy granola bars, applesauce, and dried fruit that’s easy to open.
And of course, you can volunteer your time. Every action, no matter how small, will make a difference for one in eight people who are about to struggle much more to put food on the table.
Learn more and amplify the stories
Physicians like me are witnessing the impact of these SNAP cuts firsthand. We’re seeing it in our exam rooms with patients making impossible choices, and many of us are speaking out for our patients, who often can’t without facing stigma or consequences. To truly understand how these cuts are affecting families and our healthcare system, follow and engage with physicians who share patient stories on social media. When you see doctors speaking out about this crisis, amplify our voices. Share our posts, leave supportive comments, and help these stories reach your networks. Views can generate donations to a local food bank. The more people understand what’s happening behind closed doors in clinics and hospitals nationwide, the harder it becomes to ignore. Our patients deserve to be seen and heard, and you can help make that happen.
