Nearly 80 million Americans are legally entitled to income-based help like Medicaid and food assistance. The Trump administration just dismantled the office that establishes eligibility

Woman holds a sign reading "medicaid cuts killed me" at a protest (Credit: Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

• The Trump administration has eliminated an office within the Department of Health and Human Services that calculates the federal poverty guidelines every year. That figure, required by law, helps determine eligibility for dozens of safety-net programs, including Medicaid and food, heating and legal assistance. “This is the worst possible time to be dealing with that vacuum,” said one economist.

The office that calculates eligibility criteria for dozens of social safety net programs has reportedly been dismantled.