Produce prescription programs have the potential to reduce healthcare spending by $40 billion and prevent 296,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, according to a study by Tufts University. These programs, which provide vouchers for fruits and vegetables to individuals with diabetes or food insecurity, could generate 260,000 quality-adjusted life years. Implementing national produce prescription initiatives could benefit all Americans, contributing to health equity and addressing diet-related health disparities.
According to a recent study conducted by the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, produce prescription programs have the potential to significantly reduce healthcare spending by approximately $40 billion. These programs, which promote the “food is medicine” philosophy, could also prevent around 296,000 cases of cardiovascular disease.
Producing prescription programs are considered a highly effective healthcare intervention. The study revealed that implementing these programs for individuals aged 40 to 79 with diabetes or food insecurity could result in an impressive 260,000 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Quality-adjusted life years refer to the number of years lived in good health.
The philosophy of “food is medicine” emphasizes the role of a nutrient-rich diet in preventing and managing chronic illnesses related to diet. The senior author of the study, Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition, stated that producing prescriptions is a compelling option for improving nutrition and diet-related health outcomes. He also highlighted their potential to reduce healthcare disparities by reaching those in greatest need. Mozaffarian is launching an innovative cross-university initiative to advance the “food is medicine” philosophy.
Produce prescription programs involve providing vouchers for fruits and vegetables to eligible patients. After consulting with a healthcare provider, individuals with diet-related illnesses like diabetes or heart disease, or those identified as food insecure, receive vouchers that can be used to obtain free or discounted fruits and vegetables. These can be obtained through home delivery, local grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or healthcare pharmacies.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, not only showcases the health benefits of producing prescription programs but also their return on investment. The researchers used data from 2013 to 2018 to simulate a program for individuals aged 40 to 79 with diabetes or food insecurity. Based on information from 20 small-scale produce prescription programs, they estimated that access to these interventions would lead to an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, resulting in improvements in BMI and blood pressure levels.
The model demonstrated that producing prescription programs yield benefits beyond clinical outcomes. The total cost of implementing the program was estimated at $44.3 billion. However, it was projected to save $39.6 billion in healthcare costs and an additional $4.8 billion in productivity costs. Thus, the cost per QALY gained was approximately $18,000, making producing prescription programs a highly cost-effective healthcare intervention.
Furthermore, the study predicted that such programs would prevent 296,000 cases of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes while generating a gain of 260,000 QALYs for all program recipients.
The researchers acknowledged that their figures may have some margin of error. Factors such as over- or under-estimation of program participation could affect the cost savings achieved through producing prescription programs. Nevertheless, they assert that the model’s data provides a solid foundation for policymakers to consider implementing these programs at a national level.
Mozaffarian pointed out that a national program could be established by incorporating produce prescriptions as a covered healthcare benefit, which is already being piloted by several states under Medicaid section 1115 waivers and private healthcare payers. The new findings from the study can contribute to the scaling and evaluation of these programs across the United States.
It is worth noting that the model revealed production prescription programs as a tool for promoting health equity, a crucial objective in the healthcare and public health sectors. The first author of the study, Lu Wang, emphasized that the benefits of these programs were broadly similar across different subgroups of Americans, including insurance type, race, and ethnicity. These results suggest that a national produce prescription initiative could benefit all Americans, thereby demonstrating the potential of “Food is Medicine” strategies to address health inequities stemming from food insecurity, poor nutrition, and diet-related diseases.
