Bill Overview
Title: SNAP Access for Medically Vulnerable Children Act of 2022
Description: This bill revises the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to allow households with individuals under 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions to deduct certain medical expenses incurred by the individual from household income when calculating SNAP benefits. Currently, the excess medical expense deduction under SNAP allows households with an elderly or disabled individual to deduct such expenses.
Sponsors: Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11]
Target Audience
Population: Children under 18 with chronic medical conditions
Estimated Size: 14640000
- The bill targets households with individuals under 18 who have chronic medical conditions.
- The primary benefit of the bill would be allowing these households to deduct medical expenses from their income for SNAP benefits calculations.
- Currently, deductions are mainly available for households with elderly or disabled members, so this expands the criteria to include medically vulnerable children.
- There are roughly 73.2 million children in the U.S., according to recent census data.
- The CDC estimates around 20% of children in the U.S. have some form of chronic medical condition, which could influence eligibility under this bill.
- Considering global statistics, similar proportions might exist in other developed countries with healthcare data available, potentially affecting an estimated 400 million children worldwide.
Reasoning
- The SNAP Access for Medically Vulnerable Children Act aims to alleviate financial burdens on families with chronically ill children by allowing them to deduct medical expenses from income calculations for SNAP benefits.
- It's estimated that around 14.64 million children in the U.S. have chronic medical conditions, forming the primary target for this bill.
- The policy provides financial assistance, which might have varying impacts based on the child's condition severity, family's current financial situation, and healthcare coverage.
- The budget constraints mean that not all eligible families may benefit immediately or equally.
- Interviews are designed to represent a range of possible scenarios, taking into account commonness in the population and varying levels of impact.
Simulated Interviews
Administrative Assistant (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could really help me budget better around my child's medical needs. Right now, I have to choose between food and medicine sometimes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 0 |
Warehouse Manager (Chicago, IL)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I support any additional assistance, especially since our medical bills are high. It might ease some financial pressure.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Freelance Graphic Designer (Austin, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's tough balancing expenses with unpredictable income. This could make a difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 2 |
Teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We're just out of the hardest phase with my child's illness, and this support is much needed to regain financial stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Unemployed (Miami, FL)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is a potential lifeline for me and my child. I'm struggling to cover all costs with no steady income.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 1 |
Software Engineer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While our household makes a decent income, my child's medical expenses are enormous. This could help temporarily ease the burden.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Truck Driver (Peoria, IL)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any bit helps when medication is so expensive. I'm cautiously optimistic.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Store Manager (Columbus, OH)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful this will finally provide us the help we need for my son's medication costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Retired Early (Rural Texas)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Raising my grandson isn't easy, and this policy will help cover his medical costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Part-time Barista (Detroit, MI)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard to get by on part-time pay while taking care of my child's medical needs. This policy could provide a much-needed respite.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1600000000 (Low: $1200000000, High: $2000000000)
Year 2: $1600000000 (Low: $1200000000, High: $2000000000)
Year 3: $1600000000 (Low: $1200000000, High: $2000000000)
Year 5: $1700000000 (Low: $1300000000, High: $2100000000)
Year 10: $1800000000 (Low: $1400000000, High: $2200000000)
Year 100: $2000000000 (Low: $1600000000, High: $2400000000)
Key Considerations
- The expansion of deductions to include children with chronic illnesses could substantially alleviate financial pressures on these households.
- Managing the budgetary implications to ensure fiscal sustainability is crucial as it involves significant federal expenditure.
- Implementation may require changes to existing systems for calculating SNAP benefits and ensuring adequate administrative support.