Health Fights
A number of programmes have been introduced by Highmark Health to assist the “food as medicine” concept, including one that gives some West Virginians debit cards to use at Dollar General shops to buy nutritious foods.
Understanding of the close link between diet and health in the healthcare sector is improving. The Rockefeller Foundation is financing two produce prescription trial programmes for veterans, Uber Health added healthy food delivery services to its platform, and Kaiser Permanente introduced a medically-tailored meal programme.
Highmark Health, which started a trial programme for medically-tailored meals in December and is establishing food initiatives in 14 different areas, is also a member of the “food as medicine” trend. During the AHIP 2023 conference last week in Portland, Highmark Health’s Nebeyou Abebe, senior vice president of social determinants of health, provided MedCity News with an update on its food as medicine initiatives.
We opted as an organisation to concentrate on food as medicine because chronic illnesses linked to diet account for a significant portion of our healthcare spending, according to Abebe. “I believe there is a huge potential to educate not just our patients but also our physicians who, in my opinion, lack a solid foundation and comprehension of the connection between diet and general health and wellness. As a group, we’re working to create a strong, all-encompassing plan around the idea of using food as medicine to address both the immediate needs associated with food insecurity and the need for nutrition education.
14 “priority communities” have been designated by Highmark Health throughout the four states that the firm operates in: Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and West Virginia. According to Abebe, these communities were chosen based on socioeconomic vulnerability, the incidence of chronic diseases, and the density of Highmark members. The business is getting feedback from many stakeholders about the specific deficiencies in each community before introducing programmes that are suited to that communities’ need.
The Healthy Neighbourhood project in West Virginia, which was unveiled this month, is the most recent programme to be implemented in one of these areas. InComm Healthcare, Marshall Health, Mountain Health Network, Dollar General, and Vandalia Health Network are collaborators on the $1.5 million experimental project. It offers qualified West Virginians debit cards that can only be used at Dollar General stores to buy wholesome goods.
Dollar General is making major investments in refrigeration and stocking healthier food options because they want to position itself as a destination for health and wellbeing. In West Virginia, a full-service grocery shop may be 20 to 30 miles from the houses of our members, while a Dollar General is only down the road, according to Abebe.
It comes after similar effort that was started in Buffalo, New York, in April. The Highmark Mobile Market, which provides fresh produce to community individuals in need, was established by Highmark Health in collaboration with the food and nutrition charity Buffalo Go Green.
Additionally, in December, Highmark Health introduced a medically customised meal programme that offers 1,000 qualified Highmark Health members two meals each day in addition to coaching and social work. The programme has a six-month duration with the potential of an additional six months if further services are required. Abebe stated that he believes the programme need to be expanded if it turns out to be effective.
Abebe advised other payers wishing to start food as medicine programmes that it is better to do so in collaboration with other stakeholders. Additionally, rather than just giving funding, it’s beneficial to go “into the weeds” with the programmes and take a more hands-on approach.
“You really need to be able to connect it to your business,” he added. What is your plan for company transformation? We place a lot of emphasis on food as medicine, but it is really incorporated into the healthcare system.
