Three programs that thousands of Alaskan seniors rely on - Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP - could be significantly reduced in the second Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress. SNAP is a program that provides food-purchasing assistance to Americans in need. A total of 8,670 Alaskan seniors receive SNAP benefits, according to the Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) report, Senior Snapshot: Older Alaskans in 2024.
Personally, I'm one for three in the mix. I am 78 so I have been on Medicare for years, but so far (knock on plywood-I'm in my home office) I have not had to sign up for SNAP or Medicaid. I have been very lucky in that my personal resources have been enough. But who knows what the future holds for us as individuals or for the programs as a whole? Suffice it to say that at this point on the program side it is not looking too rosy.
Here's the big picture, and I'll just editorialize that we seniors are, indeed, big in Alaska's picture. Think economic and political power in the state. Anyway, according to the Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) report, Senior Snapshot: Older Alaskans in 2024, in 2024 there were 160,906 seniors ages 60+ in Alaska representing nearly 22% of the state's population (741,147). This is up from 14.5% in 2010. Did I say our numbers are growing rapidly both in absolute terms and relative to other age groups? Well, they are.
According to the ACoA report, the reality is that all three of these programs play a huge, life-sustaining role for Alaska seniors. By the way, the ACoA report covers a lot more than just these three programs, but I want to focus on them for now because they are so important, and their future is so uncertain.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program in the United States for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities. The number of Alaskans eligible for Medicare has steadily increased for each of the past five years. In 2020, 102,361 Alaskans were enrolled in Medicare. By 2024, the number had increased to 119,328.
Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. It is a critical safety net program. Medicaid is partially funded and primarily managed by state government. Fully 72,359 Alaskans are covered by Medicaid in Alaska, according to the Medicaid in Alaska Dashboard. In addition, the ACoA report provides details about several thousand Alaskans who receive Medicaid long-term care services.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal government program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income persons to help them maintain adequate nutrition and health. The ACoA report documents that the gross monthly income test for SNAP benefits is based on 130% of the current Alaska poverty standard, and the average monthly benefit is a meager $343. A total of 8,670 Alaskan seniors receive SNAP benefits, up from 7,125 in 2021. Every year there are more hungry low-income seniors.
What will happen to these programs in the coming years in the new political environment? Politico reported on Jan. 31, 2025, that President Trump said he will "love and cherish" Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and "We're not going to do anything with that, unless we can find some abuse or waste. The people won't be affected. It will only be more effective and better." The President has repeatedly made statements like this.
