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Abstract
We examine enrollment in the U.S. Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Programs (SNAP) by health status and find that while SNAP-eligible adults in poor overall
health and with multiple chronic conditions are more likely to jointly enroll in SNAP and
Medicaid, they are less likely to enroll in SNAP alone. We also find that the conditional
probability of SNAP enrollment given Medicaid participation is higher for individuals with
multiple chronic conditions, indicating that the Medicaid program facilitates food assistance
receipt for these individuals. As a result, both Medicaid expansions and state and federal policies
that harmonize eligibility criteria or promote enrollment coordination between SNAP and
Medicaid are expected to increase the number of individuals in SNAP with chronic medical
conditions. Such a change in the composition of SNAP enrollees would increase the justification
for using SNAP as a platform for health promotion initiatives.