NC’s Medicaid ‘HOP’ Experiment Nixed; It ‘Saved My Life,’ One Recipient Says
Cancellation of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot, or HOP, has been especially disheartening for residents of Asheville and the surrounding counties, which are still recovering from Hurricane Helene that hit one year ago, The New York Times reported. More stories on Medicaid, SNAP, and hunger are from Maryland, California, Maine, Kansas, and elsewhere.
The New York Times:
Fragile N.C. Residents Lose Medicaid Support For Food And Housing
Five years ago, North Carolina embarked on a bold experiment to road test the idea that providing nutritious food, safe housing and transportation for doctors’ visits can help fragile Medicaid recipients stay healthy and avoid costly hospital stays. But the program is shutting down, an early casualty of the cuts to Medicaid that Congress approved in July. (Jacobs, 9/29)
Enlace Latino NC:
North Carolina Students Face Reduced Access To Fresh, Local Meals Amid Federal Funding Cuts
At L. Gilbert Carroll Middle School in Robeson County, Principal Zach Jones watches the lunch line carefully, ensuring every student gets a tray. Many arrive hungry; breakfast and lunch at school may be the only meals they can count on. “Every morning, every student comes through and gets a plate for breakfast. Even if they don’t eat it, they can share it. The same goes for lunch. That way our students who we know may have some food insecurities, are getting fed,” he said. (Cotto, 9/28)
More on funding cuts and hunger —
The Baltimore Sun:
MD Health Department Accused Of Failing Disabled Residents
A nonprofit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Maryland Department of Health on behalf of people who say their Medicaid benefits and services were unlawfully terminated. (Schumer, 9/27)
Politico:
Republicans Are Making Changes To SNAP And Medicaid. County Officials Say They’re Not Prepared To Handle It
Local officials charged with administering the country’s social safety net said changes in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will tax an already strained system, leading to an untenable workload for underresourced workers and potentially leading some eligible support recipients to fall through the cracks. (Wendler, 9/27)
The Maine Monitor:
Maine’s Food Pantries Stare Down Volunteer Shortage While Anticipating Cuts
Phylis Allen spends her days looking for things. She searches for potatoes at Sam’s Club, cheap beets and ginger at Walmart and a local grocery store. She studies the weekly inventory from Good Shepherd, Maine’s only food bank, for good deals on butter and cheese. Every Monday morning, she shops at three different stores, keeping lists of prices in her head and remembering what particular clients want. On a recent trip to Sam’s Club, she was searching for affordable eggs. The diminutive 78-year-old food pantry director found them in a huge cooler. (Appleton Grant, 9/28)
The Beacon:
In Rural Kansas, Grocers Face Troubles. One Program Keeps Them Competitive
When visiting his wife’s hometown of 400 in northern Kansas, Bob Lozier would joke with the owners of the grocery store that when they were ready to retire, he’d take over. He didn’t really expect to actually take over the store — but he did.
In 2022, the owner of the only grocery store in Axtell decided to sell. The space had served as the town’s store since 1905. Suddenly, the residents of Axtell were facing a future without one. About 40 investors, including Lozier’s wife, came together to raise nearly $500,000 to demolish and rebuild the store. They found more funding through the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative, which provides financial assistance to rural grocers. And Axtell residents donated their labor and skills to finish the project in under a year. (Cunningham and Mesa, 9/26)
KFF Health News:
Where Jobs Are Scarce, Over 1 Million People Could Dodge Trump’s Medicaid Work Rules
Millions of Medicaid enrollees may have a way out of the new federal work requirement — if they live in a county with high unemployment. By January 2027, President Donald Trump’s far-reaching domestic policy law will require many adult, nondisabled Medicaid enrollees in 42 states and Washington, D.C., to work or volunteer 80 hours a month or go to school. (Galewitz, 9/29)
