More than just a program: The role of link health in federal benefit programs

Link Health connects low-income individuals to federal benefit programs, reducing expenses and improving health outcomes. Key programs include SNAP, the largest federal nutrition program which provides EBT benefits for food and reduces food insecurity by 20-30%. TAFDC is Massachusetts' cash assistance program providing $400-600 monthly payments to families with children. This analysis examines Link Health's demographic trends and how potential Medicaid cuts can threaten patient care and harm specific demographics.
Patients at community health clinics in Boston were enrolled in federal benefit programs through in-person and remote sign ups. Patient navigators informed participants about program eligibility and facilitated enrollment. Information from enrollments was collected via encrypted dashboard and analyzed for statistical patterns. Data includes age, race, sex, language preference, and program type to identify patterns.
The primary qualification method for Link Health was medicaid eligibility and/or SNAP eligibility. Oftentimes, knowing a patient’s medicaid or SNAP eligibility coincided with other benefit programs, which can be explained with 51.6% of patients qualifying through medicaid and 31.5% qualifying through SNAP. The average age for SNAP enrollees was 44 and for TAFDC enrollees 40, with no significant age-based trend for online versus in-person enrollment.
61% of enrollees for TAFDC and 60% of enrollees for SNAP through Link Health were self-identified as female. Compared to the overall enrollment rate of 60.9% for female enrollees, the significance of Link Health for Massachusetts’ low-income female populations was notable.
Hispanic patients were the largest demographic: 83% of SNAP and 100% of TAFDC enrollees identified as Hispanic, compared to Massachusetts’ May 2025 statewide DTA enrollment where 39% identified as Hispanic or Latino and 27% as White. Statewide DTA data shows Hispanic participation rose from 23% in 2022 to 27% in 2025, while White participation fell from 45% to 39%, with 40,000 more individuals enrolled overall.
Link Health data reveals that sign ups for SNAP and TAFDC are growing for the Hispanic and Latino population compared to other racial and ethnic categories. This highlights the importance of maintaining these programs to suit their critical needs. SNAP participants were linked to taking fewer sick days and had reduced urgent care use¹. In Massachusetts, Medicaid nutritional support saved participants nearly $2,000 annually and reduced hospitalizations by 23%².
Considering Link Health’s impact and data significance, certain populations may benefit from having someone assist them to determine eligibility and signing up for benefit programs. With this in mind, the cuts to federal benefit programs, or the proposed policy changes to eligibility could potentially harm patients and lower the reach of programs like SNAP and TAFDC.
Additionally, the changes would impact Hispanic and Latino communities, as they often make up a disproportionately large part of these programs.