Today the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its
Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program, awarded AARP
Foundation a grant of $3.3 million, with an additional $1 million coming
from UnitedHealthcare, to implement a multi-year $6.6 million incentive
program in Tennessee and Mississippi to increase the purchase and
consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. The goal of this program is to
increase the purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables and to
improve nutrition and health outcomes for low-income consumers.
“We are very pleased to receive this generous grant from USDA that
underscores AARP Foundation’s important work to ensure all Americans can
afford nutritious food and lead productive, healthful lives,” said AARP
Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. “I would also like to thank our
friends at UnitedHealthcare, Kroger Co., the Tennessee and Mississippi
Departments of Human Services and Departments of Agriculture for their
support, because collaboration of this magnitude is crucial in finding a
solution to end senior hunger.”
Encouraging more nutritious diets is a focus in the health care
industry, which recognizes better nutrition as a disease prevention and
health promotion measure. AARP Foundation agrees with this view and
believes making fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible is
particularly important for older adults and individuals living with
limited or fixed incomes.
“Food insecurity is an issue that affects 45 million people in the
United States, so UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to
work with AARP Foundation and support programs that give people access
to healthy and affordable food,” said Austin Pittman, CEO of
UnitedHealthcare’s Medicaid business.
Beginning in September 2015, SNAP recipients will be able to take
advantage of this incentive program at select Kroger’s stores and
farmers markets. AARP Foundation is contracting with Wholesome Wave, a
non-profit organization with a track record of establishing incentive
programs, to provide training and technical assistance to farmers
markets and to assist with implementation of the outreach plan.
About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling
Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues
they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating
responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting
them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique
needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to
reach more people, strengthen communities, work more efficiently and
make resources go further. AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity.
Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live
healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting
consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships
with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health
benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members,
retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries,
and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits
and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a
diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com
or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
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Copyright Business Wire 2015