At the holiday season, children eagerly await their biggest desires, while family members near and far reunite. But while many enjoy traditions and festivities, others struggle with the emotional weight of this season, stressing over essential needs.
Nonmedical drivers of health (NMDOH), such as loneliness, social isolation and food insecurity, don't take a holiday. Identify members in need and answer their silent call. One way to help? By offering food box services that create a dialogue to deeper needs. Pyx Health shows you how.
Identifying the most vulnerable
Instead of waiting for vulnerable members to check off food insecurity on a standard screening, be proactive. While it’s still the top NMDOH challenge — especially during the holidays — most feel too ashamed to share their situation. Plans can use data modeling to find members who are most likely to be struggling and match them with a peer mentor rather than waiting for claims data to show a negative health event.
Target food first.
Food insecurity can have profound effects on member behavior, so starting here can have deep impacts on vulnerable members early on. Think about it this way: If a member doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from, they won’t be able to focus on their overall health.
As a high-impact need, solving food insecurity enables members to engage in preventive health care and manage chronic conditions.
Focus on core needs.
As members struggle with food insecurity, many also face a combination of barriers, such as loneliness and shame. Focus on these needs to drive immediate impact.
Lonely members are more likely to struggle with limited social connections and poor access to resources. And a mix of pride and mistrust often stops vulnerable members from asking for help.
Acknowledge the winter struggle.
The holidays should be a joyous time, but winter exacerbates NMDOH burdens. Many vulnerable members face a "heat or eat” struggle and must choose between food and heating as utility bills climb, while others feel the emotional weight of the holidays deepen their loneliness and isolation.
The loss of school-provided meals during the holidays adds food pressures and financial stress. Plus, changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and inflation are shrinking the safety net for vulnerable populations.
It has a complete snowball effect because unmet NMDOH needs increase utilization, nonadherence and poor health outcomes.
Food boxes as trust
As members open their food box, they see nutritious, culturally relevant, shelf-stable items designed for several meals. And it could literally be a lifesaver, offering a guaranteed resource and comfort during a resource-scarce holiday season. Food boxes with medically appropriate and diet-friendly items relieve food insecurity and build long-lasting trust.
There’s dignity in delivery.
Food boxes give plan members both the respect and resources they need to thrive. Members who are struggling may distrust the health care system, but having access to a trained peer mentor who follows up at the individual level builds a connection that lowers barriers to action. It shows members they are seen and valued and shifts the dialogue from "What’s wrong?" to "How can we help?”
They’re an entry to care coordination.
Solving food insecurity with food boxes gives plans and care teams credibility. Navigation support by compassionate individuals makes the interaction feel safe. It’s a massive step forward for further care coordination because members recognize these resources as a commitment to their well-being and become more willing to discuss transportation gaps, prescription affordability and other barriers.
The path to full-circle care
Food boxes leave the door cracked, and once they’re delivered, mentors have an opening to follow up with deeper needs assessments and interventions. It all starts by meeting plan members on their terms to discuss sensitive topics so they can become active participants in their own health journey.
Address isolation.
Food insecurity goes hand in hand with loneliness and isolation, so mentors have a golden opportunity to solve multiple problems at once. Treat these issues before they lead to unnecessary emergency department visits by connecting members to community resources and virtual engagement programs, like peer mentorship.
Facilitate clinical care.
By assisting with solving immediate NMDOH needs, plans and mentors empower members to fully engage in their care needs. Just a little bit of help makes it much easier for them to take key care actions:
- Complete annual wellness visits.
- Receive immunizations.
- Adhere to medication.
- Prioritize nutrition and exercise.
- Manage chronic conditions.
Driving health plan metrics
You thrive alongside your members when your plan offers food box services as key data points grow. Addressing food insecurity improves measures related to Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Star Ratings, Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS).
Elevate member experiences.
Your NMDOH and food insecurity interventions not only encourage members to act but also drive their satisfaction. This kind of outreach demonstrates plan responsiveness and empathy. Raise CAHPS scores with tangible food support, and improve retention and Star Ratings through satisfaction.
Improve HOS responses.
Eating right makes everything fall into place. When members achieve food stability, their self-reported health and HOS responses also trend upward, including less stress and better functional status.
Increase HEDIS measures and adherence.
One of the problems with food insecurity is that it creates a breeding ground for health care noncompliance. But plans can flip the script with food boxes to stabilize nutrition and directly support HEDIS measures related to diabetes management (HbA1c control), maternal health (prenatal/postpartum care) and more.
Adequately engaged members succeed. Everything from cognitive function to energy improves with consistent nutrition, making it more mentally feasible to follow complex care plans.
Drive data interoperability.
When you acknowledge hunger and food insecurity, members share personal details about their lives they might usually hide, unlocking powerful personal data.
Food box programs help plans obtain structured NMDOH assessment data to fill care gaps. When your plan knows these details, you can accurately predict care needs. And by adhering to standards such as United States Core Data for Interoperability Version 3, you can integrate new data to flow automatically into existing workflows.
Help your members shine with food resources
When you provide nutritious food boxes to vulnerable members, it’s about much more than food. You’re saying you see them and want to help them be their best. Use food as a pathway to provide empathy and uncover new ways to support vulnerable members. A happy and healthy life is achievable for everyone — sometimes you just need an ally to light the way.
Pyx Health works with plans to provide home-delivered food and resource boxes, helping members face food insecurity and their deepest needs. Engage your members and improve their health literacy. By meeting them where they are, you transform a simple delivery into a foundation of trust that inspires long-term wellness. Contact us today to enhance your support offerings.
