Headline
A produce prescription program measured benefit redemption and activity trends among a diverse group of Medicaid recipients in Massachusetts.
Background
Produce prescription programs are a promising intervention to address food insecurity, diet quality, diet-related disease, and rising health care costs. Underuse of produce prescription benefits is a frequent issue, complicating efforts to study program fidelity and equity. Participant benefit redemption and program activity is examined in this study of Fresh Connect, a produce prescription program, for Medicaid recipients in Massachusetts.
Findings
Fresh Connect enrolled 2,680 individuals between July 2020 to December 2022 and provided a debit card that was reloaded with funds each month to purchase produce at mobile food markets or grocery stores. Transaction data showed that participants redeemed an average of 79% of their benefits and shopped 2.5 times per month. Additionally, 65% of participants redeemed benefits within 30 days of enrollment, while 8% never redeemed any benefits. Individuals who participated in Fresh Connect for a longer period had higher redemption and activity rates than those were more recently referred. When looking at participant demographics, individuals who identified as female, Asian, or Spanish-speaking had higher redemption activity, which aligns with other evaluations of nutrition programs.
Policy/Program Takeaways
Health plans and state Medicaid leaders can use the findings of this study to understand the optimal produce prescription lengths and benefit amounts.