SNAP and MassHealth Support

Many people have lost their benefits, but they are actually still eligible. This is because the paperwork is complicated or because they haven’t been able to contact the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA).

If you meet immigration and income requirements, you can reapply for SNAP benefits.

You can check your income eligibility with this Massachusetts SNAP calculator. CEOC can also help you check your SNAP eligibility and re-apply for benefits.

Staff at CEOC can help you! CEOC has a partnership with DTA and we can get in touch with them directly.

Schedule an appointment with CEOC by emailing SNAPMassHealth@ceoccambridge.org or calling 617-868-2900.

In order to qualify for SNAP benefits, you must be one of the following:

• A U.S. Citizen
• A green card holder for at least 5 years
• A Cuban or Haitian entrant (this means that you are from Cuba or Haiti and you entered the U.S. with humanitarian parole, applied for asylum, or have other special statuses.)

These immigrant eligibility requirements went into effect in 2025. Refugees, people who were granted political asylum in the U.S., and other previously eligible groups no longer qualify. 

The new work requirements can be very confusing. The able bodied adult without dependents requirements (ABAWD Work Requirements) apply to adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who are not exempt from the Work Rules.

• Many adults ages 18 through 64 do not have to meet the ABAWD Work Rules. For example, if you have a child under 14 or are caring for someone with a disability, you are exempt.
• There are many ways you can meet the work rules if you need to. For example, you could work part time, volunteer, or participate in a job or education training program.

To check if you are exempt from the ABAWD Work Requirements, view this Mass Legal Help webpage or reach out to CEOC.

We can help you submit documentation if you are meeting the rules or exempt from them. 

The three main changes to MassHealth eligibility are:

• Beginning October 2026:
  • Eligibility changes for certain immigrants (more details below)
• Beginning January 2027:
  • New work requirements (more details below)
  • Health insurance renewals will need to be completed every six months instead of once a year

No. According to MassHealth, many members will not be affected.

However, it is important to confirm whether you will be affected so you can take steps to keep coverage for you and any family members on your health insurance plan. 

Under the new federal law, some immigrants who are lawfully present in the United States will no longer qualify for comprehensive MassHealth coverage.

Groups that could be affected include:

• People who arrived as refugees
• People who were granted asylum
• People with humanitarian parole
• Survivors of abuse or trafficking whose immigration status came from that situation
• Non-citizen veterans
• Certain categories of Iraqi, Afghan, Ukrainian, and Amerasian immigrants, among others

Even if you belong to one of the above groups, you will NOT be affected by this immigration change if one or more of the following is true for you:

• You have had a green card for at least 5 years
• You are a Cuban or Haitian entrant (this means you are from Cuba or Haiti and you entered the U.S. with humanitarian parole, applied for asylum or have other special statuses)
• You are from Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau living in the U.S. under a special agreement called the Compact of Free Association (COFA)
• You are under age 21
• You are pregnant or gave birth up to 12 months ago  

No! People who are affected will not lose all health coverage. Instead, they will move to another type of MassHealth coverage.

• People age 65 or older, or people with a disability, will generally move to MassHealth Family Assistance.
• People ages 21 to 64 without a disability will generally move to MassHealth Limited and/or the Health Safety Net, which primarily cover emergency services  

Some adults ages 19 to 64 will have to show that they work, attend school, participate in a job training program, or perform volunteer work for at least 80 hours per month to maintain their coverage.

This may include unpaid work, volunteering with a nonprofit, or being enrolled at least half-time in school. But this requirement does NOT apply to everyone. You can use this screening tool from Mass.gov to see if the rules apply to you.

There are many exemptions, including people who:

• Are pregnant or have given birth within 12 months
• Are parents, guardians, or primary caregivers for a child under age 14 or a person with a disability
• Have Medicare Part A or B
• Have a disability, serious medical condition (like cancer, heart failure), serious mental health condition, or substance use disorder that makes it hard to work
• Are under age 26 and had Medicaid/MassHealth when they aged out of foster care
• Are a veteran with a total disability recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)  

MassHealth will contact you directly by letter, text message, email or phone call. The most important signal to watch for is a blue envelope mailed to your address.

If you get one, open it and respond right away or reach out to CEOC for help.

Make sure that MassHealth has your current and correct cell phone number, mailing address, and email address.

This will help ensure MassHealth can contact you directly if something changes for you.