The people who can least afford it are about to experience the blatant cruelty of a disappearing helping hand.
The coronavirus pandemic prompted the Families First Coronavirus Act. In addition to things such as paid covid sick leave and testing, it also addressed additional SNAP benefits and continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP coverage for people who might otherwise have changes in eligibility.
The reason was the unsteady nature of income during the crisis and the critical importance of medical coverage for the vulnerable poor and children. In Pennsylvania, that translated to 3.6 million in the Medicaid program alone.