Diabetes has long been one of the most expensive medical conditions. In 2013 spending on care for people with the disease in the United States topped $100 billion. But it is also one of the most amenable to simple, low-cost behavioral interventions. At Geisinger, we set out to improve the health of diabetic adults by providing them with free, nutritious food and a comprehensive suite of medical, dietetic, social, and environmental services. This program, our Fresh Food “Farmacy,” has had clinical impacts superior to those provided by medications that cost billions of dollars to develop, and has done so at dramatically lower cost. Finding effective, less expensive treatments for diabetes is critical because of its enormous social and financial costs and its growing prevalence: One in 10 people currently has diabetes, and it is estimated that by 2050 the figure will rise to one in three.
How Geisinger Treats Diabetes by Giving Away Free, Healthy Food
It can be more effective than drugs.
October 25, 2017, Updated December 19, 2017
Summary.
Diabetes has long been one of the most expensive medical conditions. In 2013 spending on care for people with the disease in the United States topped $100 billion. But it is also one of the most amenable to simple, low-cost behavioral interventions. At Geisinger, we set out to improve the health of diabetic adults by providing them with free, nutritious food and a comprehensive suite of medical, dietetic, social, and environmental services. This program, our Fresh Food “Farmacy” has had clinical impacts superior to those provided by medications that cost billions of dollars to develop, and has done so at dramatically lower cost. This article describes how Geisinger built and is running the program.