Reinvestment Partners of Durham, North Carolina, has achieved significant success with its “Eat Well” produce prescription program, initially funded by grants, including from the USDA. The program now enjoys substantial support through a multi-million dollar contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield and other grants, serving over 100,000 people and spending $18 million on fruits and vegetables.

“We use food as medicine as a tool to address poverty,” said Sam Hoeffler, Food Programs Director at Reinvestment Partners. This innovative approach leverages the healthcare sector’s interest in nutrition to address food insecurity across all 100 counties in North Carolina, working with 40 clinics. Participants initially received $40 produce credits at Food Lion, the largest grocery store chain in the state, applied via loyalty cards. The program has since transitioned to using reloadable debit cards that can be used nationwide and automatically identify eligible produce items at checkout.

The program’s flexibility allows for various forms of food assistance, including debit cards, monthly produce boxes, and prepared meals. Hoeffler explains, “If you can cook and shop, a produce prescription [debit card] is your best bet. If you can cook but can’t shop, a box is a good fit. If you can’t cook or shop, a meal is probably your best bet.”

Eat Well’s latest innovation, an “affirmative enrollment” process, partners with Healthy Blue to automatically enroll eligible participants using existing data, eliminating the need for individuals to actively sign up. This process has enrolled 3,500 people, providing them with cards loaded with $210 monthly. “It’s totally a paradigm shift,” Hoeffler remarked. “I feel so strongly that it’s one of the best ways to show you care about someone – to not ask them to come to an office or prove anything.”

Hoeffler also shared insights into the challenges of pursuing contracts with healthcare systems, describing it as a “chicken and egg” situation where initial investment is needed to secure contracts, but contracts are necessary to justify investments. Early grant funding was vital for proving the effectiveness of the Eat Well program and securing healthcare contracts.

The program’s success, marked by a Net Promoter score of 94, highlights its effectiveness and customer satisfaction. For healthcare plans aiming to promote healthier lifestyles, offering a highly rated program like Eat Well is a significant advantage, potentially leading to better health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.