Testing Approaches to Increase SNAP Take-up Among CT Medicaid Beneficiaries

Take-up of safety net programs in the United States remains incomplete, with billions of dollars in public benefits unused annually. In Connecticut, a substantial share of Medicaid beneficiaries are likely eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, but do not participate, representing a missed opportunity to improve household well-being and potentially reduce downstream health care costs. Among the posited explanations for the incomplete take-up is that individuals are unaware of their eligibility and/or have difficulty navigating complex administrative hurdles to acquire benefits.

This study will investigate whether low-cost, scalable outreach can increase SNAP enrollment among Medicaid beneficiaries in Connecticut, and whether providing access to application assistance is more effective than providing eligibility information alone.

We will pilot a randomized controlled trial among a sample of 210,000 SNAP eligible households enrolled in Connecticut Medicaid. Households will be randomly assigned to receive no outreach, a text message informing them of likely eligibility, or a text message informing them of likely eligibility with an invitation to receive application assistance from a state partner. The primary outcome of interest in the pilot phase will be SNAP enrollment within 6 months, measured via administrative data.