From an article in Newsweek.
New Mexico and Kentucky could feel the greatest impact from Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit cuts in relation to job losses, according to data in a report by The Commonwealth Fund.
Why It Matters
More than 41 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits, making it the country’s largest food-assistance program. It provides monthly benefits to low- and no-income families, boosting their budget so that they can to buy food.
Meanwhile, more than 72 million people across the country held Medicaid coverage, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicaid is the government health program that offers coverage for low-income families as well as seniors and people living with disabilities.
While Donald Trump has vowed that Medicaid will not be impacted as part of the government’s spending cuts, concern has been raised about what will happen to the program, as well as SNAP. Cuts to both programs’ funding could have a significant impact not only on beneficiaries, but also more widely on the American public.
What to Know
The Commonwealth Fund report, released on March 25, predicted that millions of jobs across the country would be lost following the passing of the GOP’s budget, which called for the cutting of at least $880 billion over the next decade for programs under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and at least $230 billion for programs under the House Agriculture Committee, which includes Medicaid and SNAP.
New Mexico was forecasted by the organization to be hit by the potential job losses that could come as a result of the Medicaid and SNAP cuts, with 634 per 100,000 people expected to lose their jobs in the state.
The state is also expected to see a $1.17 billion loss in its gross domestic product (GDP), according to data in The Commonwealth Fund report.
Another state that is predicted to be heavily impacted is Kentucky, with 579 per 100,000 people estimated to lose their jobs and the state’s GDP forecasted to see a loss of $2.37 billion. Louisiana could see 514 per 100,000 people out of a job, and a $1.89 billion hit to its GDP.