Health insurers are taking steps to address social determinants of health that go beyond clinical care. Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) and the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Institute have launched a food delivery service in Chicago and Dallas.
The service, which will be a six-month pilot, brings healthy, affordable meals to people living in food deserts. HCSC and BCBS Institute have named the service foodQ.
The initiative comes at a time when food services are catching on as part of healthcare. Recently, CMS proposed allowing Medicare Advantage plans to expand supplemental benefits to include food delivery services to patients with chronic diseases.
"Food deserts are one of the key social determinants of health impacting millions of Americans," Manika Turnbull, vice president and community health and economic impact officer at HCSC, said in a statement. "With this program we are meeting people where they live to provide access, affordable pricing and education that can influence healthy behaviors, reduce health disparities and improve their quality of life."
FoodQ was supported by HCSC and developed by BCBS Institute’s Affordability Cures, which focuses on addressing social determinants of health as part of its commitment to develop long-term solutions to the expensive healthcare system.
The food delivery pilot will reach 25 zip codes in Chicago and 15 in Dallas where HCSC operates health plans. The zip codes are areas identified as food deserts. Any consumer in these areas can participate regardless of their health insurance state or insurance carrier. Meal deliveries are already underway in Chicago and will begin in Dallas in April.
To participate, consumers use the foodQ website to review ready-to-eat lunch and dinner meals, determine their eligibility and enter payment information. There are five meal category options, with a $10 monthly subscription fee for free delivery.
"We know a zip code is just as important as a genetic code in determining a person's health, impacting medical needs and access to care," said Trent Haywood, MA, JD, president of BCBS Institute. "With the alarming rates of obesity and diabetes in our country, we need a different approach to supporting healthy living, and this pilot program can help remove the barriers that keep people from accessing healthy, affordable and nutritious foods."
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."