If you hate public aid to help the poor buy food, how do you feel aboutusing health insurance?

New York City is experimenting with a program to allow doctors to prescribe fruits and vegetables to patients who are obese.  The think goes that encouraging healthy eating in an affordable way, that patients will get benefits that lower costs of care down the line.

According to an article by Max Rivlin-Nadler:

"Patients will receive Health Bucks, $2 coupons that can be used at any of the 142 farmers markets across the city.  Doctors will monitor the patients in the pilot program over the course of four months, and have their weight and body mass index evaluated by their doctor, as well as receive counseling on healthy eating."

Recognizing that food prices push people of limited means into unhealthiest food choices, the program shows much promise.  Although some may scoff at using money from a fund we all pay into to subsidize the poor, the aware will understand that when economics and a lack of education on healthy eating forces the poor into bad eating, we all pay in higher insurance payments.  

Creative ideas such as this can hopefully turn our national health and economy around.  If we start to reward good health and responsible choices, and stop trying to increase the amount of our economy dedicated to treating sickness, we will all be better off financially and physically.