Pre/post outcomes from 102 matched member pairs across four SSBCI program cohorts. September–December 2025. Diabetes · Depression · Chronic Illness.
Published by FareRx Member Hospitality Group · Philadelphia, PA
72–84% of members said this benefit makes them more likely to stay with their health plan.
Members directly attribute plan loyalty to this grocery benefit.
In a competitive MA market, member retention has a measurable dollar value.
89–92% of members maintained or improved medication adherence over the program period.
The benefit supports not just nutrition, but compliance behaviors that drive total cost of care.
Non-adherence costs the US healthcare system approximately $300B per year.
12-week members showed 3.7× greater improvement in medication adherence than 4-week members.
Longer programs compound the effect. Duration is a clinical design variable, not a budget one.
Plans can calibrate duration to population risk level and expected ROI threshold.
Members reported significant gains in grocery shopping and meal-planning confidence by program end.
These are validated behavioral health indicators correlated with consistent healthy food choices.
Behavioral change is a leading indicator for A1c control, ER avoidance, and readmission reduction.
More than 44 million Americans experience food insecurity. For health plans managing Medicare Advantage populations with diabetes, depression, and chronic illness, this is a total-cost-of-care problem. Food-insecure members with diabetes have substantially higher rates of ER utilization, medication non-adherence, and preventable readmissions.
CMS recognized this in 2018, introducing Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) — a direct policy pathway for plans to fund food and nutrition services with measurable clinical rationale. All FareRx programs described here were deployed as SSBCI benefits.
Members diagnosed with diabetes and depression enrolled through a health-plan SSBCI benefit. Four weekly deliveries of medically tailored groceries curated by FareRx dietitians for glycemic management and nutritional quality.
Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)-eligible members with at least one qualifying chronic illness. Twelve consecutive weekly deliveries, designed to measure whether sustained nutritional support compounds behavioral change beyond the 4-week baseline.
The 12-week program produced 3.3–3.7× larger gains than the 4-week program across the most consequential metrics. Program duration is not a budget variable — it's a clinical design variable.
Note on negative deltas in the full report: a slight self-rated-health decline reflects higher-acuity members at baseline, and the vegetable-servings decline reflects a ceiling effect (a pre-score of 4.88/5 leaves minimal room for measured improvement).
12-Week Extended Care members spanned 24 ZIP codes across the Philadelphia region.
Food-access classification based on USDA FARA 2019. ZIP data from the 12-Week Extended Care Program only.
98–100% of members confirmed their driver was on-time, respectful, and represented the health plan professionally. That's brand equity, not just a logistics stat.
“I loved the program so much, I wish it was longer! Every Friday I looked forward to it. Everything was really good, fresh, and packaged well.”
“It's an excellent program, especially for people like me who don't get out of the house much.”
“I would like to thank you all for thinking about me and others like me that sometimes don't get a chance to shop. The program is an excellent reminder of what we should be eating!”
“We ate more salad than we ever had before. It was an absolute blessing.”
“She made sure to write down all the new things she tried so she could keep eating them.”
“It was one of the only deliveries that ran smoothly for me. An exceptional program with outstanding service.”
Recorded by FareRx program navigators during exit interviews. Sept–Dec 2025.
Yes. 72–84% of members said FareRx makes them more likely to stay with their plan. In a competitive MA market with $500–$1,500 member acquisition costs, retention is measurable ROI.
Yes. Medication adherence was maintained or improved in 89–92% of all members. The 12-week LIS cohort showed a +0.22 gain on a 5-point adherence scale.
Yes. The 12-week program produced 3.3–3.7× larger behavioral gains than the 4-week program. For LIS-eligible populations, duration should be a benefit-design input, not a budget variable.
Yes. 4.90/5 average delivery satisfaction, 100% on-time delivery (December cohort), and 100% fresh-produce confirmation across 24 ZIP codes and 102 member interactions.
FareRx program-level outcomes are directionally consistent with — and in key metrics exceed — findings from peer-reviewed Food Is Medicine research.
| Metric | Published literature | FareRx 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| A1c reduction (MTM, food-insecure DM) | 0.3–2.0% (Berkowitz 2019) | Clinical data pending* |
| Medication adherence maintenance | Improved in MTM arms | 89–92% maintained or improved |
| Healthcare cost savings (modeled) | Net-saving in 49/50 states | Outcomes framework in progress |
| Member retention signal | Not broadly studied | 72–84% more likely to stay |
* FareRx is pursuing claims-data linkage and A1c integration through health-plan partnerships and Teaching Kitchen MNT credentialing. Clinical endpoint data is a stated priority for 2026 cohorts.
Full data tables, program methodology, literature comparison, and implications for health-plan partners.