For three years running, North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) has measurably improved the health and wellness of more than 34,000 of our friends and neighbors across the state by using Medicaid funds to improve access to nutritious food, safe housing, reliable transportation and services that support safe relationships.
One of the more impactful end results is fewer costly emergency room and hospital visits for often preventable medical conditions. Yet another is HOP’s impact on our local farms and economy. HOP is an economic lifeline for these industries.
Right here in Western North Carolina, over $24 million has already been invested in more than 400 local farms and food businesses for the purchase of healthy meals, food boxes, and fruit and vegetable prescriptions for HOP participants. In fact, 92% of HOP’s WNC food referrals include food grown in our region, helping farmers stabilize cash flow year-round — not just during seasonal growing windows. A stable economy for our local farmers is especially vital for WNC farms grappling with damage caused by Hurricane Helene last fall…