20 Mar 2019 --- Health insurance coverage to offset the cost of healthy food for US Medicare and/or Medicaid participants would be highly cost-effective after five years and improve health outcomes. This is according to a study, published in PLOS Medicine, whereby a team of researchers modeled the health and economic effects of healthy food prescriptions in the US insurance programs. The significant health outcomes measured, such as a reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases, could be as or more effective than other common interventions, such as preventative drug treatments for hypertension or high cholesterol, say the researchers.