Retailers have a new ally in the long-running struggle to get healthier food options to consumers in underserved areas.

A pilot program announced this week by health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield and its licensee Health Care Service Corp., bypasses the debate about grocery store locations and aims to deliver healthy, prepared meals to consumers in Dallas and Chicago for as little as $5 a meal.

Backers of the foodQ program hope to improve health outcomes and reduce “avoidable” emergency room visits and hospital admissions by improving consumer diets.

The program was developed by the BCBS Institute, a subsidiary of Blue Cross. It is being launched through the Affordability Cures program of Health Care Service Corp., one of the largest health insurers in the U.S. Affordability Cures works to “develop long-term solutions that address the root causes of an expensive health care system.”

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