Telehealth Nutrition Program Proves Effective in Fighting Food Insecurity

Foodsmart and Chorus Community Health Plans (CCHP) partnered to address food insecurity in Wisconsin through a comprehensive program aimed at improving nutrition and health outcomes. This initiative, ongoing since July 2021, focused on Medicaid and Marketplace members to demonstrate the benefits of "food is medicine" approaches in lowering healthcare costs.

Key Points:

Partnership Overview: Foodsmart and CCHP collaborated to combat food insecurity among over 400,000 individuals in Wisconsin, including 140,000 children receiving SNAP assistance.

Program Benefits: Members received personalized nutrition plans, access to dietitian visits, affordable recipes, grocery discounts, and assistance with SNAP enrollment and usage.

Study Findings: A controlled claims analysis revealed significant average savings for health plans, with Medicaid members saving $32 per member per month (PMPM) and Exchange members saving $45 PMPM through the Foodsmart-CCHP program.

Health Outcomes: Notable improvements in health were observed, including decreased incidences of diabetes, heart disease, and food insecurity among program participants.

Scalability: The program has been widely adopted, with over 10% of CCHP households enrolled, benefiting thousands directly and indirectly.

Cost Savings by Condition: Members with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia experienced substantial savings ranging from $62 to $871 PMPM.

Overall, the Foodsmart-CCHP partnership demonstrates the efficacy of addressing food insecurity and nutrition-related health challenges through innovative, scalable programs that yield significant cost savings and health improvements for vulnerable communities.