- Executive Office of Health and Human Services
- MassHealth
- Department of Transitional Assistance
Media Contact for Baker-Polito Administration Launches Common Application for MassHealth and Food Benefits
Kayla Rosario-Muñoz, Director of Media Relations, Executive Office of Health and Human Services
BOSTON — Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced that residents can now easily initiate a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application when applying for or renewing their MassHealth benefits online. This option will improve customer experience by streamlining the process to apply for SNAP benefits while residents are already submitting information needed to determine their healthcare eligibility benefits.
“The Administration, in partnership with community and health care organizations, and the legislature, is committed to ensuring that Massachusetts residents have equitable, timely and efficient access to health, economic and food security benefits,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “This initiative is another vital step to integrating and modernizing access to public benefit programs and ensuring there is no wrong door for residents to access assistance.”
Through this option, when members opt in through the application or renewal process, MassHealth will securely transmit applicant information to the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to initiate a resident’s SNAP application. DTA will then reach out to the individual to capture any additional required information needed to complete the SNAP application. This streamlined process will create an opportunity to reduce the gap between those on MassHealth and those potentially eligible for SNAP (known as the “SNAP gap”) among current MassHealth members.
“MassHealth is dedicated to ensuring our members receive all the benefits they qualify for and is working to ensure that the process for accessing these benefits is streamlined,” said Assistant Secretary for MassHealth Amanda Cassel Kraft.
“The Administration has maximized all federal flexibilities and invested in IT changes to make it easier than ever to apply for SNAP. This new option will continue to improve the customer service experience by simplifying the process to apply for these critical food benefits,” said Department of Transitional Assistance Acting Commissioner Mary Sheehan.
This new application/renewal option builds on the work the Administration has done to streamline benefit program applications and connect potentially eligible residents with critical benefits and services. This new option is also part of the Administration’s efforts to improve food security since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2020 and 2021, MassHealth and DTA worked together to conduct several outreach strategies to engage individuals who receive MassHealth and may be eligible for SNAP. These strategies include:
- Nearly 300,000 direct calls from MassHealth staff to current MassHealth members were conducted to provide information and connect members with SNAP.
- A supplemental SNAP application was added to the senior MassHealth application in 2020. In 2021, a SNAP checkbox replaced the supplement to ease the process and was also added to all paper MassHealth applications.
- Boston Medical Center partnered with the state to engage clients working with them to apply for SNAP via DTAConnect.com at the same time they were applying for MassHealth.
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