Massachusetts Pilot Program to Test Rebates for Buying Fresh Vegetables Among Food Stamp Recipients

In a Boston Globe article describing a pilot project designed to test the effectiveness of incentives in boosting fresh fruit and vegetable purchases, CHIBE Director Kevin Volpp commented on the laudable goals of the program. He also noted that the rebate mechanism, which directs funds to the recipients’ cards with no visible evidence of a rebate, may not be tangible enough to influence behavior.