Is Cash King? Insights from Cash Assistance Pilots Targeting Heath and Food Outcomes

Can direct cash payments address poverty-associated disparities in health outcomes, unmet food and nutrition needs, and strengthen a sense of community autonomy and well-being?

Join the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation for a multidisciplinary panel discussion exploring direct cash assistance programs and their potential to address individual and systemic health and food issues. Panelists from two cash assistance pilots – ChelseaEats and Pediatric RISE – will share learnings from the implementation and evaluation of these innovative programs, including how law and policy helps and hinders progress in this space, and what lawyers who are interested in this work can do!

The ChelseaEats program, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting food insecurity in Chelsea, Massachusetts, was the largest basic income pilot in American history as of Spring 2022. The program provided over 2000 individuals and families direct payments of up to $400 a month to purchase essential goods like food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Two of our panelists – Tom Ambrosino and Dr. Jeffrey Liebman – will provide insight into how ChelseaEats was developed and how the program helped improve food and health outcomes for Chelsea residents.

The Pediatric RISE program, launched by the Bona Lab at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital in response to research demonstrating that poverty is associated with higher rates of relapse, decreased overall survival, and higher symptom burden even when children receive the best care, is testing whether providing direct cash transfers to low-income families who have a child receiving treatment for newly diagnosed or newly relapsed cancer can address these disparities. Two of our panelists – Dr. Kira Bona and Jennifer Kellett – will discuss how direct cash support can improve medical treatment outcomes and save healthcare dollars.

This event is co-sponsored by The Petrie-Flom Center, The Center For Labor & A Just Economy, Harvard Health Law Society, and Harvard Food Law Society.

We hope to see you there!

Panelists:

Dr. Kira Bona, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Jennifer Kellett, MSW, CWIP, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Tom Ambrosino, Chelsea City Manager 2015-2023

Professor Jeffrey Liebman, HKS and Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston

Dinner will be provided.

RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrsocCmi6V9il6hchyJtVz8dxNcNvnJHNuT8KSaMX_lGF07w/viewform