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Food as Prescription

Description

Since 2021, Mecklenburg County Public Health has partnered with Reinvestment Partners to offer the Eat Well Food as Prescription program. This initiative helps patients improve their health by providing $40-$80 monthly for six months to buy WIC-approved fruits and vegetables. Funds are loaded onto Food Lion loyalty cards or Eat Well debit cards, which can be used at Food Lion and other participating stores in North Carolina.

Eligibility includes low-income patients enrolled in Medicaid, those living in areas with high food insecurity areas, or individuals identified as food insecure through screenings. Atrium Health used self-enrollment, while Novant Health enrolled patients via care managers.

 

 

 

Progress in 2023 and 2024

Over 1.6 million servings of fruits and vegetables was provided to 7,345 low-income food insecure clients in Atrium, Novant, DSS and WIC since May 2021. From 2023-2024, over 2,400 participants have added at least one serving of fruits and vegetables per day through this program. Future evaluations will assess its impact on healthcare use and patient satisfaction, helping shape similar programs in the region and statewide.

The program expanded in FY 23 to include uninsured low-income clients in the Atrium women’s clinic.   The current FY 24 program is implemented in collaboration with RP and Novant Health. In this new improved program, clients receive a pre-paid debit card for $80 per month for fruit and vegetable purchases in a variety of food retail stores and also online. Produce must still be WIC approved fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables without added salt, sugar, or fat. RP works nationally with over 62,000 participating retailers including 6 retailers in North Carolina namely Walmart, Food Lion, CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar and Walgreens.

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