By Leslie Small
As part of their efforts to address the social factors affecting
members' lives, some health insurers are deploying a variety of initiatives to
improve access to healthy food. A common thread among insurers that AIS Health
spoke to was the importance of working alongside community organizations —
rather than trying to duplicate their efforts.
UCare, for example, is working with a group called Second
Harvest Heartland on programs aimed at addressing food insecurity among its
members, most of whom are Medicaid beneficiaries.
One way the two organizations are collaborating is an effort to
connect qualifying members to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program and other community resources, says Nicole Lier, health promotion
manager at UCare.
The insurer and Second Harvest also started a program called
FoodRx, which focuses on members who have been diagnosed with high blood
pressure. A nutritionist puts together boxes packed with food, educational
materials and recipes, Lier says, and members involved in the program get one
free box delivered to their home each month.
While UCare's projects focus on adults, Cigna Corp. is working
on tackling food insecurity in children.
The insurer in January kicked off a $25 million, five-year
global initiative, called Healthier Kids for Our Future, with a one-day event
in which its employees collaborated with the nonprofit Blessings in a Backpack
to fill 16,500 backpacks with food for elementary school children who might
otherwise go hungry on weekends. As part of the broader initiative, Cigna plans
to work with school districts around the country to help fight childhood
hunger.
From Health Plan Weekly
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