Medicaid ‘unwinding’ makes other public assistance harder to get
Since April, nearly 5,000 fewer Montanans are receiving SNAP benefits. But that doesn’t necessarily mean fewer people qualify, said Lorianne Burhop, chief policy officer for the Montana Food Bank Network. Clients without internet access, unlimited cellphone minutes, or the ability to travel to a public assistance office may not be able to jump through the hoops to keep their benefits.
“We’ve seen consistently high numbers at food banks, whereas SNAP, we’ve seen trickling down,” Burhop said. “I think you have to consider access as a factor that’s driving that decline.”
In Missoula, DeAnna Marchand waited on hold on Montana’s helpline as a November deadline approached. She fell into a category of people facing multiple cutoffs: one to recertify food assistance for her and her grandson, another to prove she still qualifies for the Medicaid program that pays for her in-home caregiver, and a third to keep her grandson’s Medicaid.
“I don’t know what they want,” Marchand said. “How am I supposed to get that if I can’t talk with somebody?”
After half an hour, she followed prompts to schedule a callback. But an automated voice announced slots were full and instructed her to wait on hold again. An hour later, the call dropped.