Puerto Rico has been part of an Episcopal Diocese since the 1980s. Home to over three million Americans, the island is served by a thriving and diverse ministry led by the Rt. Rev. Rafael L. Morales Maldonado, Bishop of Puerto Rico. The ministries of the Episcopal Church in Puerto Rico are vibrant and far-reaching, encompassing advocacy, the arts, creation care, meal programs, racial reconciliation, and many other expressions of faith in action. Alongside these flourishing ministries, many Puerto Ricans face economic hardship due in part to U.S. government policies that treat Puerto Rico differently than the continental United States.
For perspective, more than 43% of Puerto Rico’s residents lived below the federal poverty line, a persistent reality dating back decades. In fact, Puerto Rico’s poverty rates often reach two to three times higher than the United States’ national average. This reality particularly impacts children, as half of households with one to two children live in poverty and over 70% of households with more than two children fall below the poverty line.
Despite these high poverty rates, access to social assistance remains more difficult than in than in the fifty states. For example, for food assistance, unlike residents on the mainland who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), those in Puerto Rico rely on a different program: the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP). NAP operates as a block grant, a structure that limits flexibility for meeting the needs of residents and falling short of serving all who qualify. Residents who would otherwise be eligible for assistance can be left without support once the allocated funds are exhausted. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, “because federal funding for NAP is capped, income eligibility limits have historically been set much lower, and benefits are generally less generous for many households than they would be if Puerto Rico participated in SNAP.”
This structure also presents barriers to Puerto Rico’s ability to respond to natural disasters. Without SNAP, Puerto Rico is also ineligible for disaster SNAP, which provides aid to low-income individuals during natural disasters. These benefits are typically distributed within a few weeks; however, the absence of this assistance meant that after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island, it took almost six months for residents to receive help.
The Island is also excluded from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which provides financial support to individuals with disabilities, and there are significant limitations in accessing Medicaid. While the percentage of Puerto Ricans enrolled in Medicaid is higher than in any state, because income is calculated differently using the Puerto Rico poverty level, instead of the federal poverty level that means that residents of Puerto Rico must have a significantly lower income to qualify. A family of four in Puerto Rico would need to make around $10,000 less than a family in the states to qualify for Medicaid.The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports, “Due to funding constraints, Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program cannot, for instance, cover care in nursing homes, home health services, or the full range of benefits for children that are guaranteed by Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit.”
Similar to how NAP funding is capped, Medicaid spending is also capped by federal funding, which is lower than the contributions made to state Medicaid programs. This means six of the 15 mandatory Medicaid benefits are unavailable to Puerto Rico residents due to this lack of funding. These missing benefits include nursing facility services, nurse midwives and freestanding birth centers, and non-emergency transportation to medical care, among others.
Episcopal Action
Episcopalians are called to love our neighbors as we are all divinely loved. The Episcopal Church continues to prioritize the fight for economic justice and dignity for all people, including in Puerto Rico. In alignment with a 2018 resolution that recognizes these as fundamental human rights, we are advocating for everyone to have equitable access to housing, nutrition, and healthcare, goals that countless Episcopal outreach ministries are also pursuing through on-the-ground support and local advocacy. The Office of Government Relations remains committed to advocating for the inclusion of our Puerto Rican siblings in congressional decision-making processes.
We have focused on:
- A pathway to transition Puerto Rico from the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). While this is not a quick fix for addressing poverty on the island, providing residents with the same opportunities available to mainland residents and several other territories to access food for themselves and their families is a significant step in the right direction. (2018-C041)
- Ensuring residents of Puerto Rico are included in all healthcare assistance programs and that income level qualifiers are not calculated differently than for mainland residents. Programs like Medicaid and Medicare Part D benefits, which help cover out-of-pocket prescription costs, are among the few ways individuals can access medical treatment. Therefore, we must prioritize the quality and accessibility of healthcare on the island and eliminate healthcare disparities. (2022-D002)
- Streamlining assistance to residents of Puerto Rico to ensure help is available when it is needed most. On Average, Puerto Rico is hit by five hurricanes each year, often resulting in devastating impacts on infrastructure and access to services when they make landfall. During hurricanes Maria and Irma, it took nearly six months for residents to receive any form of disaster relief—this is unacceptable. (2018-D007)
To learn more about the Diocese of Puerto Rico go here: Inicio – Iglesia Episcopal Diócesis de Puerto Rico
To learn about the work of Jubilee USA, which advocates for Puerto Rico, go here: Jubilee USA Network
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