Update on SNAP Benefits 11/13/25

OB3 blog post

There has been a lot of fuss over the “Big Beautiful Bill”- which of course isn’t beautiful at all, as it creates tax cuts for millionaires in exchange for cutting funding to health coverage. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts did a great webinar on how these cuts will affect us here in Massachusetts- I’ll go over the basics, but you can access the whole slide deck here: https://www.bluecrossmafoundation.org/sites/g/files/csphws2101/files/acquiadam-assets/OB3%20in%20MA_PUBLICATION%20CHART%20PACK_December%202025_FINAL.pdf

There are two main ways people with low income access health insurance in Massachusetts- through MassHealth or through the Health Connector. MassHealth is an insurance program that is largely paid for by the federal government through Medicaid funds. The Health Connector is a health insurance marketplace that allows people to purchase health insurance at subsidized rates. 2 out of 3 people in low-income families in Massachusetts are covered through MassHealth, and a further 400,000 individuals and families use the Health Connector.

The “Big Beautiful Bill” has some provisions that affect health care financing and Medicaid eligibility. Most of these changes don’t go into effect for a few years, so we have time to change the law before it happens. However, some of these changes are coming up more quickly, so let’s take a look. Here’s the timeline from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation:

The first big changes come into effect on January 1^st, 2026 – coming up soon. Enhanced Premium Tax Credits will stop – these are tax credits that make healthcare more affordable for people who don’t qualify as low-income. On January 1^st, the federal administration is also telling many lawfully present immigrants that they no longer qualify to use the Health Connector. On October 1^st of 2026, they will no longer qualify for MassHealth.

The federal administration is splitting lawfully present immigrants into two groups, one of which will be eligible for healthcare, and the other will not once the “Big Beautiful Bill” goes into effect. Group 1, who will retain their healthcare, includes green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants. Group 2 consists of refugees, individuals granted asylum or with Temporary Protected Status, and all other types of non-citizens- this group will stop being eligible for the Health Connector on January 1^st and for MassHealth on October 1^st. If an individual in group 2 has income above $15,650 annually (for one person), they may retain their Health Connector insurance until January 1^st 2027.

The other place where the “Big Beautiful Bill” will affect healthcare in Massachusetts starts on January 1^st , 2027 – so hopefully we have time to change these laws before they come into effect. If the law stays as it is now with the passage of this bill, on January 1^st 2027 there will be new work requirements for MassHealth. People with disabilities are supposed to be exempt from these work requirements, but it creates an additional barrier for people to “prove” they’re disabled by presenting the “right” paperwork. The federal administration will also be making people redetermine their eligibility for MassHealth every 6 months instead of every year. Again, this is a lot of paperwork, making it harder for people with disabilities to “prove” they need health insurance and can’t get it another way. The more paperwork barriers the administration can put up, the more difficult it is for people to get healthcare, and the more likely it is that people will give up trying. The state estimates that if this law stays in effect, 300,000 people will lose their MassHealth or Health Connector coverage over the next decade.

These changes from the federal level are a horrendous abuse of the systems we have put in place to support people who need help accessing healthcare. Healthcare is a human right, and one of the tenets of disability justice is access to healthcare for all – regardless of race, gender, ability, or country of origin.