ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Soon thousands of households in Alexandria will be feeling the effects of change as people who were receiving temporarily increased food benefits will not any longer.
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, many people received SNAP food assistance through temporarily increased food benefits, and anyone without health insurance was eligible to receive Medicaid, regardless of their income or citizenship status.
February 2023 will be the last payment of these emergency food benefits, resulting in 3,845 Alexandria households seeing a decrease in their SNAP benefits starting in March, according to the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS).
SNAP changes are not the only thing that will be seen, the emergency Medicaid coverage, provided to people in need of health insurance during the pandemic, will also end in February. This will require all Medicaid recipients to undergo reevaluation of their Medicaid coverage under the Medicaid eligibility criterion.
It is expected that 6,549 people from Alexandria receiving Medicaid will lose coverage in the eligibility redetermination process due to their income or citizenship status.
DCHS says a notice will be mailed to SNAP recipients, as well as people affected by the Medicaid change. People with questions about their benefits may call 855-635-4370 or visit the DCHS at 2525 Mount Vernon Avenue or at the new DCHS location at 4850 Mark Center after Feb. 3.