News for Healthier Living

Connecting Patients to Public Benefits Works Better with Texts Than Paper Flyers, Penn Research Finds

Text messages are more effective than paper flyers to help emergency department (ED) patients apply for public benefits programs, like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program (PTRR), or Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). A quarter of eligible ED patients who received a text message referring them to a public benefits navigator called, and 18 percent enrolled in at least one benefit. On the other hand, no patients that received the information on paper called or enrolled.

February 10, 2026


February 11 2026

February 10 2026

February 9 2026

February 8 2026

February 7 2026

February 6 2026

February 5 2026

February 4 2026

February 3 2026

February 2 2026

February 1 2026

January 31 2026

January 30 2026

January 29 2026

January 28 2026