Insurers add food to the cover list as a way to improve health

WASHINGTON: When COVID-19 swarmed into the United States, one health insurer asked some customers: Do you have enough to eat?

Oscar Health wanted to know if people had enough food for the next week or two and how they planned to stay up while hunting down at home.

“We have seen time and time again, a lack of good food and nutrition causes members to recover” to hospitals, Oscar chief executive Ananth Lalithakumar said.

Food has become a bigger focus for health insurers as they look to expand their coverage beyond just the care that takes place in a doctor’s office. More plans are paying for the temporary delivery of food and some are teaching people how to cook and eat healthier food.

Welfare experts say insurers and policymakers are becoming accustomed to treating food as a form of medication that helps patients lower their blood sugar or blood pressure levels and stay healthy. -out of expensive hospitals.

“People are finally comforted by the idea that everyone saves money when you prevent certain things from happening or someone’s situation from getting worse,” said Andrew Shea, senior. vice president with online insurance broker e-Health.

This push is still relatively small and occurs mostly with government-funded programs such as Medicaid or Medicare Advantage, the private versions of the government’s health program for people 65 or older or with disabilities. But some employers are interested in offering coverage to their employees.

Medicaid programs in several states are testing or improving food coverage. Next year, Medicare will begin testing food program vouchers for patients with malnutrition as part of a broader view of improving care and reducing costs.

Nearly 7 million people were enrolled last year in a Medicare Advantage plan that offered some form of food benefit, according to a study from the consulting firm Avalere Health. That’s more than double the total from 2018.

Insurers usually cover temporary food deliveries so that patients have something to eat when they return from hospital. And for several years now, many have also paid for foods that are suitable for patients with conditions such as diabetes.

But now insurers and other bill payers are taking a more proactive approach. This comes as the coronavirus pandemic is sending millions of Americans to seek help from food banks or neighborhood food pantries.

For example, Oscar Health found that nearly three in 10 Medicare Advantage customers had food supply problems at the onset of the pandemic, so they arranged temporary grocery delivery from a local store at no cost any to the recipient.

Medicare Advantage expert Humana started issuing debit cards to some low-income customers with either US $ 25 or US $ 50 on them to help with the purchase of healthy food. The insurer also tests food delivery in the second half of the month.

That’s when money from government food programs can run low. Research shows that patients with diabetes end up making more emergency visits then, said Humana chief executive Dr. Andrew Renda.

“Maybe this is because they’re still taking their medication but they don’t have enough food. And so their blood sugar goes crazy and then they end up in the hospital, “he said.

Blue Cross-Blue Shield Anthem insurer connected Medicare Advantage customer Kim Bischoff with a nutritionist after she asked for help to lose weight.

The 43-year-old Napoleon, Ohio resident had lost more than 45kg about 11 years ago, but she was gaining weight again and gaining weight.

The nutritionist helped eliminate Bischoff from a so-called keto diet largely based on meat and cheese. The insurer also arranged for a temporary food delivery from nearby Kroger so she could try healthy foods such as rice notes, almonds and dried fruit.

Bischoff said she only lost a few pounds. But she was able to stop blood pressure and thyroid medications because her health was improving after she balanced her diet.

“I learned that weightlifting is not a small thing, but the quality of my health,” she said.

David Berwick of Somerville, Massachusetts believes in a food delivery program by improving his blood sugar, and wishes he could stay on. The 64-year-old has diabetes and started the program last year with a recommendation from his doctor. It was covered by the Medicaid program MassHealth.

Berwick said the non-profit Community Services provided him with a weekly delivery of dry grain and pre-heating food for reheating. These included Berwick turwick meat broth and broth which was described as “very tasty”.

“It’s not things I would definitely do on my own,” he said. “It was a gift, it was a real privilege.”

These programs typically last a few weeks or months and often target customers with a low-health or low-income situation who have a hard time getting nutritious food. But they are not limited to these groups.

Indianapolis-based Preventia Group is starting food delivery for some employers who want to improve the eating habits of people covered under their health plans. People who sign up start working with a health coach to learn about nutrition.

They can then start short-term delivery of food or large boxes of food and recipes to try. The employer raises the cost.

It’s not just about hunger or lack of good food, Chief Operating Officer Susan Rider said. They also teach people what healthy, nutritious food is and how to prepare it.

Researchers expect food coverage to grow as a form of treatment as insurers and employers learn more about the programs that work best.

Low-income patients may first need help accessing nutritious foods. People with employer-supported coverage may need to focus more on how to use their diet to manage diabetes or improve their overall health.

A 2019 study of Massachusetts residents with similar medical conditions found that those who received food had fewer hospital admissions according to their condition and generated less health care spending than those who did not. got.

The study’s author, Dr. Seth Berkowitz of the University of North Carolina noted that these foods are just one way to deal with food or nutrition problems. He said much more can be learned “about what interventions work, in what circumstances and for whom”.

Lack of healthy food is “clearly linked to poor health, so we know we need to do something about it,” Berkowitz said.