Payer Community Health Partnerships to Address Food Insecurity
More than 2,000 Blue Cross NC members are enrolled in prevention programs that address social determinants of health such as food insecurity.
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By - On the path to value-based care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) has announced a new long-term plan to improve community health outcomes by addressing social determinants of health, such as food insecurity.
The payer will first focus on combatting food insecurity, an issue that affects over 600,000 North Carolinians, through prevention programs and value-added services.
“We recognize that access to healthy food drives our whole health, so we’re being strategic to help more individuals get better access to nutrition and the other resources they need to achieve their best health,” Blue Cross NC President and CEO Tunde Sotunde, MD, MBA, FAAP said in a press release.
“Having served the people of North Carolina for nearly a century, we are ideally equipped to lead this journey. We know that healthier individuals mean healthier communities, and in the end that lowers costs for everyone,” he continued.
Addressing food insecurity is key in the move toward value-based care. Studies have shown that food insecurity leads to an increased risk of chronic health conditions, Blue Cross NC noted. Chronic health conditions not only increase costs for the individual directly impacted, but they also overtax resources, driving up excess costs as well.
The payer is working with Benefits Data Trust (BDT), Manna Food Bank, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC to promote enrollment in Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Blue Cross NC plans for these partnerships to improve health and reverse chronic conditions by way of access to nutritious food.
This collaboration also aims to destigmatize participation in such social services, reduce enrollment barriers, and support individuals through the enrollment process.
Eligible members will receive a monthly benefit stipend from the food purchasing program, Eat Well, led by Durham-based Reinvestment Partners. Individuals can use the stipend to purchase fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables without added salt or sugar.
For Blue Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in particular, the health plan offers a personalized post-discharge meal program after acute hospital stays.
Additionally, Blue Cross NC’s Medicaid managed care plan, Healthy Blue, offers qualifying members value-added services such as three months of fresh produce.
Eligible members with type 2 diabetes who experience food insecurity will have access to one-on-one nutrition health coaching and healthy food delivery through Pack Health. An additional initiative, The Virta Health program, aims to reverse type 2 diabetes through a virtual care model that offers access to a nutrition health coach and on-demand nutritional information and resources.
The company will also address various other social determinants of health, including housing, transportation, and social isolation by providing eligible members with on-demand companionship and assistance with daily tasks, such as grocery delivery and transportation to medical appointments.
So far, over 2,000 Blue Cross NC members are enrolled in these test models. The insurer will measure the progress of each program in improving patient health outcomes to identify which strategies are most promising in reducing health disparities among North Carolinians. These measures will be used to lay the groundwork for larger-scale health equity efforts in the state.
The payer’s plan builds on its existing initiatives focused on health equity. Blue Cross NC has made a cumulative investment of $7.1 million to help at-risk individuals access nutritious food and to help communities and farmers bring structural change to the state’s food system.
Additionally, the health plan’s historic COVID-19 response funneled a total of $593 million in financial support to members, employers, providers, and community organizations.
“Blue Cross is taking unprecedented action in its commitment to the health and well-being of all North Carolinians,” said Gerald Petkau, COO and interim CEO of Blue Cross NC at the time of the announcement. “Our goal is to remove barriers within our means to ensure our health care providers, communities, and members are well-equipped to fight COVID-19.”
