UB researchers study food prescription services

BUFFALO, NY — Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid approved an amendment to New York State’s 1115 Medicaid waiver.

Public health researchers say this essentially means Medicaid will begin funding social needs, including food, transportation, housing and other things that could affect their medical outcomes.

The highlight for public health professionals is that people covered by Medicaid will be able to be prescribed fruits and vegetables just as you would medications. These are also commonly referred to as “Food is Medicine” programs.

University at Buffalo researchers have received $400,000 in funding from the American Heart Association for a study exploring dietary prescription programs in older adults. Lucia Leone is co-principal investigator of the study.

“It’s so exciting that this is now an option because often when people go into their doctor’s office and their doctor says ‘eat more fruits and vegetables,’ they wonder ‘where can can I find them and how can I buy them?’ Can I afford them?’” Leone said.

Why study dietary prescriptions? Jill Tirabassi, the study’s other lead researcher, says most health happens outside of the medical and health care system.

“Mainly in the behaviors we choose to engage in every day: what we eat, how we sleep (and) how we exercise,” Tirabassi said. “And so a study like this really focuses on integrating how the healthcare system can actually help us make healthier food choices.

Leone says there has been a lot of work across the country on understanding and using mobile markets, a smaller-scale grocery store that operates from vehicles like trucks, vans or trailers. She says it’s currently a common way for seniors to get their support orders enforced.

“We want to see if having delivery options can improve the use of these programs,” Leone said. “And that’s really what we’re trying to test with this study, is comparing our traditional programs that we do in mobile marketplaces with the ability to have a food prescription delivered to your home.

Study participants will be enrolled based on their food security status and will be divided into three groups: a group who uses vouchers at mobile markets to redeem their fruit and vegetable prescription, a group who receives a box of produce customizable delivered every week like the one they received. could get at FreshFix and a group that receives a complete meal kit.

“We really want to understand if food is being used because you want to show that, you know, all of these barriers that currently prevent people from using their entire prescriptions or even using a prescription in general can be resolved.” , said Tirabassi. said.

This is where the reason to focus on older adults comes into play. Tirabassi says they are poised to soon become our country’s largest population and face specific challenges in health, mobility, transportation and technology.

“So we think if we use this population to really understand some of these logistical issues, it will really benefit everyone,” Tirabassi said.

The study will begin at the end of summer 2024.

The Medicaid waiver is expected to take effect in the fall. Researchers say participants are not required to be on Medicaid to participate in the study.