A health-related social needs program
Project Bread provides food and nutrition services to eligible MassHealth members through the Health-Related Social Needs program.
These services are available to eligible MassHealth members only. Services vary by ACO. Availability of these services may vary depending on your health plan.
Eligibility for Project Bread’s Health Related Social Needs Program is determined by meeting the following three criteria.
* Community Care Cooperative offers medically tailored services with different criteria. Details can be found here.
If you believe you meet all three of these criteria, please reach out to your health care provider, or contact your insurance provider to be screened for eligibility. You may be referred to Project Bread, or another service provider, based on your medical needs.
If you receive your coverage through a MassHealth provider that has not partnered with Project Bread, you can still get food assistance. Reach out to your provider and ask for information about what services are available.
Already enrolled in the program with Project Bread and need help accessing your benefits? Please see the resources below:
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Our Healthy Benefits+ card offers a monthly grocery benefit to eligible individuals. The card can be used at most major supermarkets including:
There are also dozens of independent grocery stores that accept your card, such as America’s Food Basket, Tropical Foods in Boston or Food Zone International in Springfield. Find stores near you.
With the Healthy Benefits+ mobile app, you can access your benefits anywhere, anytime. You can instantly redeem your benefits on qualifying products with your card number or barcode when you checkout. It’s that easy!
Healthy Benefits+ gives you easy access to the benefits you need to help you live a healthier lifestyle. With Healthy Benefits+, you can:
Review your welcome materials or login to your program website for a full description of benefits and shopping options.
Frequently asked questions about the Project Bread Healthy Benefits+ Card.
This program provides two different Healthy benefits+ cards: A Healthy Foods Only card and an All Foods card.
Healthy Foods Only: All food items can be purchased with this card EXCEPT for desserts; snack foods (chips, crackers, cakes, candies, and cookies); soda; items from the bakery section; and frozen processed foods, such as frozen pizzas, ice cream, and appetizers.
All Foods: your funds can be used to purchase all food items. Alcohol and non-food items cannot be purchased with your card.
The card you receive depends on your medical diagnosis and insurance plan. Your nutrition coordinator will review what items you can purchase with your card.
No. You must use up your food benefits within 30 days from the date they were issued. They will not rollover. Check the HealthyBenefits+ app to see what date your benefits are issued.
To shop with your rewards, you must activate your card first. To activate your card, call 1-833-832-7306 or go online to ActivateS3.com. You will be asked for your card number, security code, and date of birth. For step by step instructions, please watch our video How to Activate Your Healthy Benefits+ Card
Your card number is the 17-digit number located on the back of your card. The 4-digit number under the card number is your security code. You can also find this information on the mobile app.
The benefits are intended for your child, and you should use their date of birth for activation.
Your card does not have a magnetic strip to be swiped in the machine-like regular debit cards. The cashier will need to scan the barcode on the back of the card. If you are using the card for the first time at a new store, it is recommended to test using the card with one item first to ensure that it works correctly. For instructions on how to use a virtual barcode through the app, please see our video “How to Use Your Card - Smartphone”
There are no restrictions on the frequency of purchases. If you run out of funds, you will need to use an additional payment method to cover the cost of your items. You cannot load additional funds onto your card.
You can check your available reward balance at healthybenefitsplus.com/ProjectBread/Account/BalanceCheck or with the mobile app. You can also call 1-833-427-1927 (TTY 711). For a full description of benefits, please refer to your welcome materials.
Your card is reloaded approximately every 30 days. You can also check your balance by calling 1-833-427-1927 (TTY 711) or visiting healthybenefitsplus.com/ProjectBread/Account/BalanceCheck.
Your Healthy Benefits+ card will remain active as long as you are actively engaged in the Project Bread program. Benefits are issued monthly and do not rollover (expire every 30 days). Participation may be terminated if you change insurance providers, lose MassHealth eligibility, or fail to respond to your Project Bread Coordinator.
If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, you may request a replacement card online or by calling your Nutrition Services Coordinator. You may also call 1-833-427-1927 (TTY 711) to speak with a representative who can assist you in requesting a replacement card. It may take up to 2-3 weeks for your new card to arrive.
Click "show all" to view all resources
Instructions on how to setup your account for members
Join us online for our fun and engaging cooking classes where you’ll learn how to prepare nutritious meals on a budget to meet your family or individual health goals. All classes are hosted virtually on zoom. If you would like to enroll in one of these classes, please contact your Project Bread Coordinator. Explore our classes:
A 3-part series about quick meals, grocery planning, building a balanced plate, creating healthy snacks, and tips for picky eaters. This class is taught by a Registered Dietitian and Chef.
A 3-part series about meal planning, food storage, weight maintenance, and fueling for exercise. This class is taught by a Registered Dietitian and Chef.
A 3-part series about how to manage blood sugar, creating balanced carb combos, and lifestyle changes for managing diabetes. This class is taught by a Registered Dietitian and Chef.
Learn how to shop smart on a budget! This class repeats each month and covers navigating the grocery store, healthy alternatives to fast food & frozen meals, ways to maximize SNAP and HIP, and more. This class is taught by a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Services Coordinator.
Instructions for joining our classes and try-at-home recipes
Tips for managing health conditions, preparing food for kids, and helpful cookbooks for cooking on a budget. Click "show all" to view all resources
Nutrition tips to live a healthy life with diabetes
Ways to help manage the feeling of heartburn after meals.
Ways to use diet to help manage your cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.
Follow these basic guidelines to help boost your health and well-being!
Pick from two categories to make a healthy snack
Making healthy fun for kids
Simple recipes using fresh ingredients that can be prepared in a microwave.
A cookbook for how to eat well on a limited income, particularly on a $4/day SNAP budget.
Grocery Budgeting Tips
Our registered dietitians provide individualized nutrition counseling to MassHealth members enrolled in our program who are in need of more specialized care.
What can you expect if you meet with a dietitian?
In your first session, we will ask a series of health questions to help us understand your nutrition needs. From there we will talk with you about your health goals.
Once we understand your goals we will work with you to identify small changes that you can achieve.
If you decide to meet with a dietitian more than once, we will use additional sessions to review your progress, discuss the challenges you encountered and continue to build on each success as you move toward your goals.
