Food Is Medicine expands options for union member health

Food Is Medicine is moving from policy conversation to practical health support for working families.

On the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Blue Cross Blue Shield’s National Labor Office Executive Director Merrilee Logue and Sarah Duggan Goldstein, Managing Director for Legislative and Regulatory Policy and Health Equity Policy with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. They detailed how medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, nutrition counseling and community partnerships are being used to help union members manage chronic conditions, improve food access and build healthier lives. This conversation is part two of the Food Is Medicine series with the NLO.

• Food Is Medicine programs now span medically tailored meals, supportive groceries, produce prescriptions and nutrition counseling.

• Blue Cross Blue Shield leaders said these tools can address both chronic disease management and food access barriers.

• Union leaders have an opportunity to connect members with benefits, education and local partnerships that strengthen health outcomes.

For union households facing rising food costs, chronic disease and uneven access to healthy options, the phrase Food Is Medicine is no longer just a public health slogan. It is becoming a practical framework for how health plans, providers and community partners think about prevention, recovery and long-term wellness.

That was the focus of a new America’s Work Force Union Podcast conversation featuring Merrilee Logue, Executive Director of the National Labor Office at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and Sarah Duggan Goldstein, a public health scientist and a managing director on the organization’s policy and legislative team. This conversation is a continuance from part one of the Food Is Medicine series from January of this year. The two guests moved beyond the concept itself and laid out what Food Is Medicine programs actually look like on the ground.

Their message was clear: nutrition support is becoming more structured, more targeted and more relevant to union members who are managing health conditions while also navigating the everyday realities of cost, transportation, time and access.

What Food Is Medicine programs mean for union families

The discussion began with a practical distinction. Food Is Medicine programs generally serve one of two purposes. Some are designed to address food access problems, especially when healthy food is difficult to afford or obtain. Others are built to help prevent or manage specific health conditions, particularly chronic illnesses tied to diet. In many cases, the programs do both.

That distinction matters for labor audiences because union members often experience health challenges amid demanding schedules, physically taxing work and family responsibilities that leave little room for complex nutrition planning. A benefit that simply exists on paper is not enough. It has to be usable in real life.

Logue and Goldstein described a growing range of options that attempt to meet members where they are. Some programs deliver prepared meals after surgery or during serious illness. Others provide groceries that align with a patient’s medical needs. Still others offer produce benefits, classes or counseling intended to improve long-term eating habits and reduce health risks before they become more severe.

How medically tailored meals and groceries work in practice

One of the most useful parts of the conversation was the breakdown of medically tailored versus medically supportive food benefits. The distinction may sound technical, but it has major implications for how care is delivered.

Medically tailored meals are designed for individuals with serious health conditions who cannot easily shop for or prepare food independently. These meals are tailored to specific medical needs and are typically linked to a treatment plan through a referral from a healthcare professional or health plan. In practice, that could mean meals structured around recovery after a procedure or meals designed to support someone living with a serious chronic condition.

Medically supportive meals, by contrast, are not customized to one person’s exact medical profile. Instead, they are broadly healthy prepared meals intended to help manage chronic disease or reduce risk across a wider patient population. The same general distinction applies to groceries.

Medically tailored groceries are selected to meet a person’s specific dietary requirements, while medically supportive groceries are made up of healthy food items that can benefit many people even if they are not individualized to the same degree. Goldstein noted that these programs often include recipes and education, both of which are critical. Food support works best when members also understand how to use it.

Why are prescriptions and nutrition counseling gaining traction?

Among the most accessible and innovative tools discussed were prescription produce programs. These allow healthcare professionals to prescribe a set amount of fruits and vegetables to patients who have or are at risk for chronic conditions and may also face barriers to food access.

For labor audiences, the appeal is obvious. Produce prescriptions connect clinical care with everyday living. They turn healthy food from a recommendation into a supported part of a care plan. Depending on the program, members may use the benefit through grocery stores, health care settings or food pantries.

The guests also highlighted nutrition incentive programs that help low-income consumers purchase healthier foods, often through systems linked to federal nutrition assistance programs. These programs are less about disease-specific treatment and more about improving diet quality at the point of purchase.

Just as important is medical nutrition therapy. Registered dietitians work with patients to assess nutritional needs, identify goals and align food choices with the realities of daily life. This kind of counseling can be especially valuable for workers balancing shift schedules, family obligations and conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. The point is not only to hand someone food. It is to help them build a sustainable routine around it.

Blue Cross Blue Shield companies are investing beyond the benefit design

The conversation also made clear that Food Is Medicine is not limited to formal health plan benefits. Logue and Goldstein described broader community-level investments by Blue Cross Blue Shield companies, including support for food banks, food drives, produce distribution, community gardens and organizations such as Meals on Wheels.

Some initiatives focus on children and families through summer meal programs or maternal nutrition support. Others involve local farms, educational programs and culturally rooted food practices that recognize the role food plays in identity, tradition and trust.

That local dimension is important. Blue Cross Blue Shield companies operate in communities where union members live and work, making these efforts more responsive to regional needs. For labor leaders, that opens the door to partnerships that go beyond claims and coverage. It creates opportunities for members to connect with tangible support systems already operating in their neighborhoods.

Why union leaders should pay attention to Food Is Medicine benefits

For unions, the takeaway is not simply that these programs exist. They may already be available to members who do not know how to ask for them. Goldstein urged listeners to check with their health plans, as benefits can vary and may include options beyond those discussed on the show.

Logue also pointed to a practical role for union leadership. Local Unions and labor organizations can share nutrition information in common spaces, build relationships with community partners and help normalize conversations about food access and chronic disease prevention. In a labor context, that is not mission drift; it is member support.

The episode's broader discussion was straightforward and persuasive. Better nutrition is not a side issue. It is tied to energy, recovery, disease prevention and quality of life. For working people, it is also tied to job stability, family well-being and union strength.

As Food Is Medicine programs continue to expand, the labor movement has a clear stake in ensuring members can access, understand and use them. Health benefits are strongest when workers know what is available and can put those resources to work in their daily lives.

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