It’s well-documented that poor nutrition is closely associated with heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Too many people assume that being diagnosed with a chronic condition means a lifetime of surrender to poor health, costly medications, and painful treatment – but that’s not true. 

I’ve seen up close how healing is possible through food: Not too long ago, someone very close to me was diagnosed with diabetes. They fretted at first. After some tears and more than a few difficult conversations, I helped them plan and prepare more nutritious meals. Today, they’ve actually reversed that diagnosis. Through healthier food choices and lifestyle medicine, they’ve reclaimed control.

At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), we believe that food isn’t just fuel – it’s medicine that’s good for everyone. When it’s easier for people to get fresh nutritious food, this powerful medicine relieves some of the pressures on our health care system. That lowers costs, benefiting everyone, not just those who take proactive steps to eat healthier foods.

Because nutritious food is so integral to individual and community health, we’re launching Health Through Food, an innovative, multi-year, multi-pronged initiative designed to reduce chronic conditions, improve health outcomes, and fight the rising costs of care across North Carolina by expanding access to nutritious food.

Our work has grown out of conversations we’ve had with the communities we serve. Through dialogue we’ve had with leaders and community partners across all 100 counties in the state, we’ve heard a clear, consistent message about the need for action to improve food security and nutrition-related chronic conditions. 

Chronic illness is one of the most urgent health challenges facing our state. They’re responsible for approximately two-thirds of all causes of death in North Carolina. Heart disease is the leading cause of death, followed by diabetes as the eighth leading cause. 

That impacts us all. Chronic conditions are the highest cost drivers for North Carolina's health care system. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90% of all health care costs in the US go toward treating preventable diseases, including chronic conditions. 

This data isn’t exactly revelatory for us. But our ongoing engagement with businesses and communities in every part of the state has helped us get a clearer picture of how nutrition-related chronic conditions are upending lives, our workforce, and the strength of our communities. In response, we started to reframe the way we think: If we focus on food being the solution – as medicine – rather than the problem, we can improve health outcomes and build a brighter, healthier state fueled by nutritious foods. 

Acting on that mindset isn’t something we can do alone. Our Health Through Food initiative is a response to the chorus of voices we heard; now, we’re mobilizing those voices to join us in in our response. We’re working with our members, providers, and community partners to help more people eat well, expand access to nutritious food, and grow Food is Medicine programs across the state.

Historically, food-focused initiatives have centered on solving the most immediate short-term challenge: How do organizations get nutritious foods into the hands of those who don’t have access to them? Our Health Through Food initiative is focused on the long game: How do we promote behavioral and systemic change that will advance healthier eating habits over the course of a lifetime – over the course of generations?

Making that happen involves work in these areas:

• Helping individuals develop the skills essential to healthy eating: Creating better access to nutritious foods is just the beginning. Getting healthy food into someone’s pantry isn’t enough to promote life-long healthy eating habits. Education and support are just as important. From nutritionist benefits for members to hands-on teaching kitchens open to the community, we’re investing in helping people learn how to plan healthy meals; how to buy and store fresh foods; and how to prepare well-rounded meals. These investments might begin with a fresh bundle of locally sourced ingredients, but the dividends don’t end when the fresh foods are consumed. Our goal is to build the culinary skills and best practices that will support a lifetime of eating healthy. 
• Integrating Food is Medicine into the health care system: Blue Cross NC understands this challenge calls for collective action. As important as the food as medicine concept is, providers aren’t always trained how to integrate it into the care they deliver. Getting providers and other stakeholders involved in the work is key to driving the kind of systemic change that will have a significant impact on chronic disease across the state. Blue Cross NC has been recognized as a pioneer in the broader Food is Medicine movement. We’ve shared our learnings with others, contributing to a growing statewide and national knowledge base that will help others who are invested in this work. The Blue Cross NC Foundation is a leading supporter of innovative community-based Food is Medicine programs throughout the state, which has elevated North Carolina to the forefront of the Food is Medicine movement. 
• Increasing access to healthy food: 1 in 7 North Carolinians has trouble accessing healthy foods, according to Feeding America. Through collaborations with community-based organizations and initiatives, we’re making it easier for individuals to access fresh produce, lean proteins, and healthy grains. The key is to make this work sustainable, not ad hoc and piecemeal. That’s why we’re partnering with community organizations – from schools to groups that support local farms – to transform the way healthy food reaches members and communities.

Food as medicine is hardly a new concept; it dates back centuries. What’s innovative is the idea that insurers have a role to play in helping envision, promote, and scale data-backed approaches to helping individuals, households, and entire communities prevent, control, or reverse chronic health conditions through healthier eating. 

By reimagining the role of food in health care, we’re working toward a future where every North Carolinian has the opportunity to live a healthier, fuller life, starting with what’s on their plate.