Food security and health are inextricably linked. The lack of access to nutritious foods can have serious, long-term effects on health and well-being, and it can make managing existing chronic conditions more difficult for people facing hunger.
Partners like Elevance Health Foundation, a Feeding America Visionary partner, are catalysts for change in our work, particularly in supporting food bank and health care partnerships and addressing the intersections of food insecurity and health. Through its generous support, Elevance Health Foundation invested in the first two phases of Feeding America’s Food as Medicine program, which helps connect people facing hunger to local food distribution programs that provide access to healthy food options. Feeding America defines “food as medicine” as a food bank-healthcare intervention that follows a three-step model: screen, refer and nourish.
Extensive Programmatic Growth
Since launching in 2019, the Food as Medicine program has led to the creation of food pantries, pre-packaged food pick-up boxes at hospitals and clinics, and produce prescription programs, among other results. The current three-year partnership with Elevance Health Foundation—sustained in September 2022 thanks to their $14.1 million investment, the largest grant in the Foundation’s history—is Food as Medicine 3.0 (FAM3).
FAM3 includes 21 participating partner food banks and is on track to screen over 1.3 million patients for food insecurity by the end of 2025.
“We have long championed better access to nutritious foods in the communities we work alongside,” said Dr. Kofi Essel, inaugural Food as Medicine director at Elevance Health. “We’re focused on programs, like Feeding America’s, that demonstrate improved health outcomes for individuals with chronic conditions and those that create greater access to nutritious food by improving affordable options among populations experiencing food insecurity.”
Since its inception, Feeding America’s Food as Medicine program has tripled the number of participating food banks and has incorporated a rigorous evaluation that includes participant surveys, medical claims data and tracking of clinical outcomes at some sites.
Evolution of an Impactful Partnership
Prior to the launch of Feeding America’s Food As Medicine program in 2004, Elevance Health Foundation has supported hunger-relief efforts at member food banks across the country. Over the past two decades, the partnership has grown and evolved, yielding meaningful impact for people facing hunger.
“Our relationship with Feeding America was initially driven by our associates and their personal involvement at network food banks in their communities,” said Danielle Shaw, Program Manager for Elevance Health Foundation. “Our Foundation wanted to amplify this involvement, so Feeding America became one of our signature charities,” which included the Foundation matching associate donations to the Feeding America network and offering volunteer incentives.
Looking Ahead
Elevance Health Foundation believes that food can play a role as medicine, and that consistent access to nutritious food is an essential part of maintaining health. According to Feeding America’s 2025 Elevating Voices: Insights Report, nearly 70% of study participants—neighbors with lived experience of hunger—say they want to eat healthier but can’t afford to right now. Programs like FAM3 are critical to ensuring that everyone has what they need to improve their health and wellbeing.
As of August 2025, 51 health care partners are engaged in FAM3 and more than 6,900 applications have been completed for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest anti-hunger program.
“Feeding America is agile and willing to adapt based on the findings of each program—this allows for continued impact in the communities that need it the most,” said Dr. Essel. “As we look forward, we hope to reach even more partner food banks and decrease the number of individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.”
