Fresh food by prescription: Geisinger Health is trimming costs

Geisinger's program can look like a bargain. Over the course of a year, the company will spend about $1,000 on each Fresh Food Pharmacy patient. The health system tracks hemoglobin A1C levels in the pilot participants, and it is also assessing the number of medical visits and sicknesses along with the overall cost of caring for these patients. "A decrease in hemoglobin A1C of 1 point saves us [about] $8,000," says David Feinberg, the president and CEO of Geisinger Health System.