Trump administration axed nutrition education program that saved more money than it cost, even as government encourages healthier eating

Every dollar spent on community health education through SNAP-ED saved an estimated $10.64 in Medicaid spending by the government before the program was shut down.

By: Diane Cress, Wayne State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 20, 2026

Words: 1,126

Last Updated: 3 days, 5 hours ago

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By Diane Cress, Wayne State University

If the government had found a way to save US$10 for every dollar it spent helping low-income people get healthier, wouldn’t it make sense for it to keep doing that?

Well, that’s exactly what the U.S. government did when it piloted the SNAP-Ed program in 1977. This U.S. Department of Agriculture program persisted for nearly 50 years until the Trump administration shuttered it in 2025.

SNAP-Ed served as …

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