When expanded federal SNAP benefits ended in March, recipients lost an average of $190 dollars a month in food.
The State's Roadmap to End Hunger by 2030 has declared that closing the so called "SNAP gap" is now its first priority.
Dana Eidsness, Senior Anti-Hunger Policy Advisor, says the "Food as Medicine" initiative would provide access to healthy food to SNAP recipients with no cost to them.
"Imagine if we could have food prescribed to our medical system, nutritious food, medically tailored food", grocery prescriptions for fruits and vegetables, and ideally have them covered and paid for by insurance or Medicaid," Eidsness said.
Eidsness says 17 states including Maine are working on potential models of the "Food as Medicine" concept.
Democratic state representative Holly Stover of Boothbay, sponsored a bill to increase SNAP benefits that lawmakers passed last spring. Stover says multiple approaches are needed to address food insecurity in Maine.
"The choices people have to make at the lowest income levels are often not the most healthy foods, processed pasta and a lot of carbohydrates," Stover said. "So having that "Food as Medicine" would allow people to make the healthiest choices."
While the expanded SNAP payments ended in March, the federal government recently increased SNAP benefits to reflect a Cost of Living Adjustment.
