Woman Went Hungry To Pay For Father’s Parkinson’s Drugs
Summary
New York City health commissioner Alister Martin said a woman in her early 20s came to an emergency department with abdominal pain after going without food to help her family pay for her father’s Parkinson’s medication. The city health department is in early discussions about whether AI could help people complete benefit applications, including for food assistance.Key Facts
- Martin said tests indicated the woman had starvation ketosis, which can occur when the body does not get enough food.
- The woman told Martin that her family was struggling with the added cost of her father’s recently diagnosed Parkinson’s disease medication.
- Martin said the city health department is exploring whether AI could reduce the paperwork involved in applying for programs such as SNAP.
- Martin said the AI exploration is at an early stage.
- Martin said health professionals and community health centers may have limited capacity to help patients find support or complete food-assistance applications.
- A 2025 Urban Institute analysis found that one in eight working-age adults in families receiving SNAP had benefits stopped or interrupted after they did not complete recertification on time.
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