Prescribing Fruits and Veggies

A clever idea, well worth a trial.   Though there is usually no direct joy in prescriptions,  unless they directly kill pain, so I wonder that they feed into the immediate gratification that comes from less than healthy food.   Not the same as cash payment.   Will track progress.    Read more of the expert comments in the link.

Giant Food to fill prescriptions for fruits and veggies in Retailwire   by George Anderson

Giant Food has announced that it is participating in a single-store pilot program in Washington, DC that will allow Medicaid beneficiaries suffering from diet-related chronic illnesses to receive a $20 coupon at the pharmacy to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in the produce section if they bring a doctor’s prescription.

The program, which kicks off tomorrow, is run in concert with DC Greens, a local nonprofit dedicated to giving the city’s residents access to healthy foods.  

“We believe that cross-sector partnerships are the only way to achieve health equity in our city,” said Lauren Shweder Biel, executive director of DC Greens, in a statement. “Doctors and patients both need more tools to address food insecurity and diet-related chronic illness. Through Produce Rx, our healthcare system can be a driver to get patients access to the healthy food that they want and need.”

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