When Ashleigh Ligon’s husband got injured at work, preventing them from earning income and affording health insurance, their circumstances changed dramatically. Pregnant and uninsured, she turned to Medicaid to provide coverage for the remainder of her pregnancy and birth.
Because she was enrolled in Medicaid and expecting a baby, Ashleigh was automatically eligible for WIC—without having to resubmit additional income paperwork. It was at a follow up appointment with her OB/GYN, that they encouraged her to apply.
Today, Ashleigh is a mom of six, a certified lactation counselor, childbirth educator, doula, and parent advocate for No Kid Hungry. She shared her story at the inaugural Medicaid Food Security Network (MFSN) Summit. Her journey shows how Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC can help families regain stability when life takes unexpected turns. Her story also shows the pivotal role of the healthcare sector- including Medicaid, doctors and nurses- in connecting children and families to Food is Medicine services.
When she enrolled in WIC, these programs became a lifeline. “WIC was there to provide resources for accessing food, breastfeeding and lactation classes,” Ashleigh explained. She felt that flexibilities in the WIC program that began during the COVID-19 pandemic helped reduce the challenges she and many other families face in accessing the program. For example, WIC phone appointments reduced the stress of planning how to bring her children to in-person visits. The 2021 expansion of the WIC Cash Value Benefit for fruits and vegetables from $9 to $35 per month enabled her to provide tailored nutritious foods for her children with severe food allergies.
When Ashleigh delivered her premature twins, she spent a month in the neonatal intensive care unit. There, the nurses and lactation consultants reinforced how WIC could continue to support her family once she got home. Later, during a visit with a lactation consultant at the WIC clinic, she learned about the Nurse-Family Partnership, a home nurse visitation program for children with special needs. Since her children were premature, she automatically qualified.
The home nurse supported her family with compassion, trust and care, which set the stage for her to connect Ashleigh to SNAP.
Accessing SNAP not only helped Ashleigh’s family eat better, but also opened the door for Ashleigh to work towards economic empowerment. Ashleigh opted into the SNAP Employment and Training program, which assists SNAP participants to access college and employment readiness opportunities . She went back to school when her twins were less than two years old and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Entrepreneurship!
“My healthcare team actually saw me,” Ashleigh recalled. “I wasn’t a patient – I was a whole person. I wasn’t just a mom – I was Ashleigh.” Her healthcare team helped her navigate the maze of accessing public benefits tailored to her eligibility and needs.
Having newborn children is already overwhelming and exhausting. During such a vulnerable time, it’s critical to follow up with and support individuals faced with complex application processes for programs and the fear of being judged at grocery stores or county offices. Often, people already know about programs like SNAP and WIC, and the role of healthcare is to work with patients to identify and reduce barriers to accessing them.
Ashleigh said, “These programs filled the gaps when I couldn’t. They supported me when I needed it most. Without access I was going to be forced to make important choices between food and health and would not have the opportunities I had. Food assistance programs aren’t handouts; they are hand-ups by meeting families where they need to be met.”
Ashleigh’s story shows how healthcare navigation assistance to SNAP and WIC are a key component of Food is Medicine. At MFSN, we are working to make more positive experiences like Ashleigh’s the standard by making policies that connect Medicaid enrollees to SNAP, WIC, and other Food is Medicine programs with dignity and streamlined access.
For millions of Americans, Medicaid, SNAP and WIC offer vital support for health, nutrition, and well-being. As Ashleigh’s story shows, these 3 public benefits also cultivate referrals and connections to many more vital supports like her home nurse visit program.
Medicaid covers 1 in 5 Americans, with nearly half of its 72 million enrollees being children. However, SNAP and WIC still have major participation gaps owing to lack of awareness, complicated application processes and technology, mandated in-person enrollment visits, and transportation barriers. The workforce and infrastructure within Medicaid, including health insurance company staff and doctors and nurses, make it an indispensable resource in addressing the needs of low-income families. Therefore, Medicaid policy and administrative changes can reach millions of people at scale.
Dr. Julian Xie, No Kid Hungry director of Medicaid and benefits integration reflected on the Summit and Ashleigh’s story, “Half of the people eligible for WIC aren’t enrolled even though it’s a major Food is Medicine program, so it’s got to be all hands on deck to get families connected to both SNAP and WIC. Medicaid managed care and healthcare providers are major partners to build trust and meet people where they’re at, not just once but multiple times.”
The MFSN Summit brought together food security advocates, healthcare representatives, state government staff, and allies to make connections and learn about pursuing Medicaid policy change to improve food and nutrition security for children and families. There is significant interest around the country among food security advocates for engaging, influencing, and partnering with Medicaid.
The summit generated momentum by creating space for food security champions to connect, learn from each other, and plan to take action. But to drive real change, it is vital to center the families and communities directly impacted by these programs. We’ll be releasing a longer MFSN Summit summary report. To be the first to receive it, subscribe to our MFSN digest.
