Among older Medicare beneficiaries, prior food insecurity and markers of acute financial strain, including difficulty affording dental care or prescriptions, strongly predict future food insecurity, even after adjusting for their income. Incorporating these indicators into screening efforts may improve identification of beneficiaries at risk of food insecurity. Furthermore, linking screening efforts with navigation and benefits enrollment support, alongside broader policy reforms to reduce financial strain, may help mitigate food insecurity and its downstream health consequences in this population.
Kim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.