Banner – University Family Care Partners with Food Benefits Management Company, Foodsmart, To Address Food Insecurity and Chronic Disease

Banner – University Family Care announced a new partnership with Foodsmart, the nation’s largest food benefits management company. The partnership supports the shared mission to improve the health and quality of life of Banner – University Family Care members through nutritional education and improved access to healthy food at scale.

About one in ten Arizonians face food insecurity.¹ This rate, though already alarming, reached as high as 17% amongst Hispanic populations in Maricopa County. The ongoing pandemic, coupled with the ensuing economic downturn, supply chain disruptions, and other challenges, has led to an increase in the costs of goods and services, including essential healthy food items.² One of the challenges in addressing food insecurity lies not just in providing healthy food to communities, but in ensuring communities have ongoing access to programs that can integrate healthy options into their lifestyles.

“Our commitment to addressing food insecurity and improving the lives of our members has led us to join forces with Foodsmart, a pioneering leader in improving equitable access to nutritious food. Through this program, we aim to empower members to make healthier food choices that improve quality of life,” said James Stringham, VP & CEO of Banner – University Health Plans.

Already, members have seen significant improvements in their nutrition, chronic conditions, and food insecurity. Since the program began, nearly 10k Banner members have signed up with a Foodsmart registered dietitian, and they have seen promising results thus far: 69% of members with obesity have lost weight, and 11% who were food insecure have already become food secure.

“Foodsmart is one of the best things [Banner Medicaid] ever did for me. Having a dietitian is totally changing my life,” said one Banner Medicaid member. Another member had concerns about her food budget at the beginning of the program, but after working with her dietitian to plan meals and get food support, she is now food secure. This member says her energy and memory have improved because of her diet changes.

Foodsmart’s proven model connects people with nutrition education and culturally sensitive food from registered dietitians alongside tools that help members cost-effectively follow their plan for lasting success. With dietitians who speak more than 30 languages, Foodsmart is well-positioned to support the diverse population at Banner – University Family Care, including the 40% reported who speak Spanish.

“Equitable access to healthy food is a human right, and we’ve built a solution that makes it a reality for millions of Americans,” said Jason Langheier, MD, MPH, CEO and founder of Foodsmart.” With ‘food is medicine’ as the foundation, and by leveraging technology to bridge gaps, we create a system that can overcome barriers and change lives at scale. We’re proud to partner with Banner – University Family Care to improve the lives of its members in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.”

Through this partnership, eligible members of Banner – University Family Care will have access to:

• Unlimited, no out-of-pocket cost access to visits with a personal dietitian who will offer nutrition education, resource guidance, and a budget-friendly meal plan to meet their goals
• The FoodsMART food marketplace, which includes:
• Thousands of recipes customized to their cultural preferences, goals, and budget
• Savings of up to $34 per week on groceries through local grocery deals, coupons, and grocery list price comparisons
• Foodsmart Bucks grocery funds that members can use within Foodsmart’s marketplace to address food insecurity and conditions directly
• Support with enrolling in and utilizing SNAP/EBT benefits, which are now accepted by most national and regional retailers online

Members who are food insecure and have diet-related medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more may also receive delivery of ready-to-eat medically tailored meals.

These accessible healthy lifestyle benefits, coupled with guidance from a registered dietitian, are the backbone of what yields sustainable outcomes.

For more information on enrolling in and utilizing the benefits of the Banner – University Family Care and Foodsmart partnership, visit: www.foodsmart.com/members/banner-health.

###

About Banner – University Health Plans

Banner – University Health Plans (B – UHP) is a locally owned health plan and is a recognized Medicaid managed care leader. Launched in 1985, B – UHP began as a Medicaid contractor and has expanded operations to include Medicaid, Medicare, and integrated behavioral health (BH) services across Arizona. B – UHP owns and operates: Banner – University Family Care/ACC, Banner – University Family Care/ALTCS, and Banner Medicare Advantage and includes more than 340,000 lives in Arizona. Committed to serving vulnerable populations, B – UHP is the only Arizona plan that holds membership in the Association for Community Affiliated Plans, a national trade association for nonprofit Safety Net Health Plans that are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of lower income people and people with significant health needs. Parent company, Banner Health, is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, with operations in six states.

About Foodsmart

Foodsmart is on a mission to end nutrition insecurity and diet-related chronic disease. With the largest network of outpatient registered dietitians, FoodSMART telenutrition enables members to connect via phone or video to learn about personalized nutrition programs that consider individual health concerns, budget, cultural preferences, and lifestyle needs. Dietitians guide members to buy healthier food they can afford through the AI-enabled FoodsMART food marketplace, which is integrated with all national grocers, the largest restaurant network in the US, and local & national medically tailored food providers. By addressing food insecurity, diabetes, and many more nutrition related conditions, Foodsmart has demonstrated year one cost savings for health plans and employers of $25-$58 per member per month, backed by numerous randomized controlled trials and claims studies. Foodsmart’s programs are also proven to uniquely sustain weight loss that continues even after 3 years, making it a required companion to GLP-1 therapies. Foodsmart’s partnerships with thousands of health plans and employers mean that 99% of its more than 2 million members pay $0 out-of-pocket. To learn more about Foodsmart, visit www.foodsmart.com.

1 - Feeding America. “Food Insecurity among Overall (all ages) Population in Arizona.” https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2021/overall/arizona. Accessed [10/01/23].

2 - University of Arizona. “Food Insecurity in Tucson Ranks High.” https://mapazdashboard.arizona.edu/article/food-insecurity-tucson-ranks-high. Accessed [10/04/23].

Contact Information

Merrita Villa

Senior Account Manager

VSC for Foodsmart

foodsmart@vsc.co