Millions of Older Adults Eligible for Both SNAP and a Medicare Savings Program (MSP)

Millions of Americans ages 65 and older have limited financial resources and may have difficulty paying for the key necessities of medical care and groceries. Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are critical government programs that can provide substantial financial assistance to older adults with low incomes to meet these needs—yet eligible older adults have historically had low rates of participation in both programs. Using both national and state-level eligibility estimates, this analysis seeks to determine the extent of the eligibility overlap in SNAP and MSPs— that is, the number of older adults eligible for both programs—and examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both programs. 

Key Takeaways:

• Around 5.5 million (or nearly 1 in 10) adults ages 65 and older were eligible for both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a Medicare Savings Program in fiscal year (FY) 2022.
• Older adults eligible for SNAP were similar to those eligible for MSPs in terms of demographics, employment, and income.
  
• Older adults eligible for both SNAP and MSPs were eligible for an average $162 per month in SNAP benefits, and one in six qualified for over $300 a month.
• Previous AARP research has found that actual participation in MSPs and SNAP remains low among older adults eligible for the programs.
• Efforts such as aligning eligibility criteria and promoting data sharing between agencies could help facilitate higher enrollment for those eligible for SNAP and MSPs.

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