‘A Persistent Puzzle’: Californians Embrace Medicaid – But Food Stamps? Not So Much.

California’s participation rate in the food stamp program is one of the lowest in the nation, despite millions of low-income Californians being eligible for the benefit.

By increasing participation in the program, we can make a significant difference in the lives of those who need it most.

The reasons for California’s low rate of participation in the food assistance program, known as CalFresh, remain a “persistent puzzle,” – yet, Kim McCoy Wade, CalFresh branch chief from DSS, and others, suggest it may be due to the less-than-optimal quality of customer service and a bulky bureaucracy.

Kim McCoy Wade, chief of the CalFresh branch of the state’s Department of Social Services

Read the full article from California Healthline, here.

HCA