Healthcare Solutions
Treating Food Insecurity
Overview
Revolutionizing the Healthcare System Through Food Security
We know food insecurity affects health in profound ways, and that improved food access leads to improved health outcomes. As a partner in MassHealth's Flexible Services Program, Project Bread is treating food insecurity through the healthcare system to improve long-term patient health outcomes.
This revolutionary pilot program allows Medicaid dollars to be used on “non-medical” expenses to address two social determinants of health — food insecurity and housing stability.
One of the only kind in the nation, Project Bread’s model goes beyond prescriptions for food by offering comprehensive case management to certain eligible MassHealth patients who are both food insecure and have a physical or behavioral health diagnosis.
This ground-breaking program is demonstrating an improvement in both food security and health of participants.
Our Impact
over 13,000 patients
served to combat chronic food insecurity
“I'm a recovering addict. So, I didn't have much. When I got the kitchen supplies, it was a relief. It helped me in my recovery. I just moved too, so I brought everything to the new house when I started my new life, and it gave me a fresh start.”
Flexible Service Program patient
healthcare partnership impact report
REPORT: Food Security is Health Care
June 2022, we released our evaluation of preliminary findings from the Flexible Services Program, which demonstrate an increase in food security for patients, and point to health cost savings.
A Coordinated Effort
Referrals to our Healthcare Partnerships program come from the following Accountable Care Organization partners:
- Community Care Cooperative (C3)
- WellSense ACO and partners WellSense Community Alliance (formerly BACO), WellSense Care Alliance (formerly Tufts), WellSense Mercy Alliance and East Boston Neighborhood Health WellSense Alliance
- Boston Children's Hospital ACO
- UMass Memorial Health ACO
Collectively they send us referrals* from over 45 community health centers, physician offices and hospitals across the Commonwealth.
We provide individualized support to these food insecure patients with medically complex health issues by addressing social, environmental and economic factors that influence their ability to purchase, prepare and consume healthy foods.
Depending on need, members may receive: food benefit cards; procurement of kitchen supplies and appliances; cooking classes; nutrition counseling; assistance connecting with federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and WIC; and referrals to nearby food pantries.
*Flexible Services is not an entitlement program or a covered service, and not all MassHealth members will receive these specific supports.
BUILDING CAPACITY FOR GREATER IMPACT
Project Bread believes in the importance of centering people, not food, in solutions. Because of this, growing the staff of our Healthcare Partnerships program directly correlates to more people being food secure.
Our Impact
25% of patients were no longer food-insecure after 6 months of programming.
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