Press Releases

Highmark Health Options marks one-year anniversary with major community food event

• Farm-to-Family initiative highlights growth of innovative social care network addressing Appalachian health barriers

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (July 30, 2025) — Highmark Health Options West Virginia will mark its one-year anniversary in the Mountain State with a community celebration rooted in action: the launch of its first Farm-to-Family fresh produce market on Saturday, Aug. 2, in South Charleston. The event, open to all and requiring no personal identification or paperwork, will distribute thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables to local families while connecting them to on-site social services.

The free farmers market is part of a broader effort by Highmark Health Options to reimagine health care in West Virginia by addressing the root causes of poor health outcomes — including food insecurity, lack of access to preventive care, and what President Jason Landers calls Appalachian fatalism, the entrenched belief that a better future isn’t possible.

“We’re here to do more than manage claims,” said Landers, a longtime West Virginian and former coal miner’s son. “We’ve spent the past 12 months hiring West Virginians, listening to West Virginians, and building a health plan that works for West Virginians. This event is symbolic of what we stand for — showing up for communities and making care real.”

Highmark Health Options entered the state’s Medicaid and CHIP market in 2024 as the first Blue Cross Blue Shield-branded managed care organization. The plan began with fewer than 1,000 members and now serves more than 13,000 — adding on average more than 1,000 new members each month.

Much of that growth stems from Highmark’s investment in an innovative, statewide social care network — connecting members with local nonprofits to address urgent needs like transportation, housing, dental care and food access in a way that encourages care gap closure. It’s modeled after a successful Pennsylvania program that has delivered improved health outcomes, fewer emergency department visits and greater access to mental health care.

Landers believes that overcoming generational health challenges in West Virginia means meeting people where they are — physically, emotionally and culturally.

“Hope is a health strategy,” he said. “Whether it’s offering expanded dental benefits so a member can feel confident during job interviews or helping a grandmother age at home rather than in a facility, we’re focused on giving our members every chance to thrive.”

This marks the first West Virginia edition of Highmark’s successful Farm-to-Family initiative — which has helped thousands of families in Pennsylvania access nutritious food and holistic care in one place.