Appendix K-Tribal Letter to New Mexico

Appendix K

Letter to New Mexico Tribal Leaders

L

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 3 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection.

aura Castner

Senior Researcher

NAME

TITLE

ADDRESS

DATE

Dear TITLE LAST NAME:

I am writing to inform you about a pilot project in New Mexico that could affect members of your tribe living on the reservation or in the pueblo. The New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to operate a two-year pilot project designed to improve access among the elderly to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called food stamps. This pilot offers certain seniors and people with disabilities who recently applied to the Medicare Extra Help (EH) program a simplified, combined application for SNAP and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP). If deemed eligible, applicants receive one of four standardized SNAP benefits­—$16, $75, $180, or $240 per month—based on their household size, income, and shelter costs. The New Mexico EH SNAP pilot program now operates in 11 counties in northern New Mexico: Colfax, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos, and Union.

FNS contracted with Mathematica Policy Research to evaluate this pilot program in New Mexico. Mathematica has selected comparison counties for each pilot county (except for Los Alamos, which will not be included in the evaluation). The comparison counties for the study are Chaves, Cibola, Dona Ana, Guadalupe, McKinley, Quay, Socorro, and Valencia. The evaluation consists of three types of activities: 1) telephone calls and/or visits with HSD staff in each pilot and comparison county, 2) analysis of SNAP and MSP caseload data provided by HSD, and 3) a brief telephone survey with selected MSP and/or SNAP participants in the pilot and comparison counties. For more information on the evaluation, please see the enclosed study description.

As part of the third evaluation activity, our organization plans to conduct interviews with a small number of <insert tribe name> members who live in the pilot or comparison areas and who participate in the MSP program. Participation in the survey is optional and will not affect individuals’ benefits. Members who do agree to participate will be compensated for their time.

If you have questions or need more information about the evaluation, please contact me at (202) 484-3282. For more information on the EH SNAP pilot program, please contact Chris Hayes at (505) 383-6348. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Laura Castner

Project Director

cc: Chris Hayes, EH SNAP Project Manager, HSD

Enclosure: Extra Help SNAP Study Description