Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Food Insecurity Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 2017–2021

Food insecurity, limited or uncertain access to adequate food due to economic or social conditions,1 is a persistent public health concern in the United States.2 Black and Latino households experience food insecurity at more than twice the rate for White households.3 Although these disparities are well documented, little is known about how they changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to both economic disruption and temporary expansions to food assistance programs. Understanding these trends is particularly important for Medicare beneficiaries, who often live on fixed incomes and have chronic conditions.