Food insecurity affects 13.7% of U.S. households—a statistic that has held steady for over 20 years, with communities largely shouldering the burden of addressing it. That percentage may rise following last year’s SNAP changes, as previously reported by Corporate Insight, prompting users to increasingly look to health plans to help navigate food access barriers. Health insurers and health systems are stepping in, each finding their own way to expand their role in user and community wellbeing.
CI’s June 2026 Health Plan Monitor Update details EmblemHealth’s response: leveraging community mobilization alongside users’ reliance on digital tools to become a one-stop shop for food and nutrition support. However, the health plan’s approach does not operate in isolation. Health systems across the country are making their own investments in food access, suggesting a broader shift in how healthcare firms define their responsibilities beyond clinical care.
EmblemHealth’s Digital Bridge to Community Food Resources
EmblemHealth opens the digital front door with its new Food and Nutrition Resources page. The page leads with a section promoting food security events and connects users to the EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care calendar, which opens pre-filtered food security events. Each event tile displays key details: type of event, date, time, registration requirements and location. Users can further refine their search by date and location. Notably, EmblemHealth reinforces at three points in the browsing experience—on the dedicated page, at the top of the calendar and on each event page—that all events are free and open to the public. The transparency and visibility encourage engagement, regardless of membership status, broadening the page’s reach beyond members. Additionally, the red sold-out alert reflects a deliberate move to prioritize fair allocation of resources rather than maximizing attendance.
Beyond the calendar, users explore a range of food support resources to take meaningful next steps. Through EmblemHealth’s Social Care Networks, users can identify potential benefits and check their eligibility for local, federal and state programs. The page also guides users through SNAP benefits, a timely inclusion given recent federal changes, and highlights the summer Electronic Benefit Transfer food program, a valuable resource as the season begins. Users facing health challenges that make shopping or food preparation difficult can learn about home-delivered meal options through community partner God’s Love We Deliver. Throughout the page, users can easily find links to external resources for further information. Those seeking in-person assistance can use the Neighborhood Care Locator tool to find nearby support. EmblemHealth leverages two different established resources—its own Neighborhood Care network and a trusted community partner. By surfacing both, alongside relevant external links, on a site users already visit, the firm removes the burden of seeking support elsewhere.
EmblemHealth is not doing anything new, but that is the point. The novelty lies in integrating its digital platform with proven community-based solutions, expanding both physical access and digital entry points. For users unfamiliar with local resources, food pantries can be difficult to find online. When they are discoverable, users often sift through results across multiple sites. That friction can be compounded by stigma surrounding food insecurity, raising the barrier to seeking help. By embedding these resources within a platform users already trust, EmblemHealth lowers both barriers simultaneously.
How Health Systems Invest in Community Nutrition
EmblemHealth is not alone in recognizing food security as a healthcare priority. While EmblemHealth bridges digital tools and community resources, health systems have largely directed capital straight into communities. Since April, health systems across the country have made significant investments in community nutrition programs:
- Cleveland Clinic has set the bar high, pledging $50 million over five years to improve food access across three states. The investment flows through community-based organizations, targeting sustainable food security.
- Banner Health takes a different approach. Its Banner Olive Branch Senior Center offers free, publicly available classes guiding seniors through maintaining a healthy diet at home. Each series is shaped by participant feedback and the provisions available in its free food pantry.
- Ascension Calumet planted a community garden with 30 free-to-rent plots, including dedicated space for local organizations. On the clinical side, a separate Ascension branch partnered with Dell Children’s Medical Center to open the first on-site pediatric hospital food pantry. The program extends beyond food distribution, connecting families with SNAP screening, event reminders and ongoing support.
- HCA Healthcare donated $2 million to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, which has seen a 46% surge in demand since 2020. The commitment extends beyond dollars: last year more than 12,500 employees volunteered roughly 39,000 hours in a single month.
Food insecurity is not a new challenge, but the urgency to break down barriers is growing. Whether through digital platforms or financial investments, health plans and health systems are finding new ways to sustainably strengthen the community infrastructure that food security depends on.
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Sophia Stone
Sophia Stone is a research associate on Corporate Insight's healthcare team.