California
Medicaid Meal Delivery Programs Show Promise in Reducing Hospital Visits and Healthcare Costs
About a dozen states offer “medically tailored meals” to people with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease who get their insurance through Medicaid. Such programs significantly improve the health of the people in them, according to a new study. Medically…
Key points
- Medicaid meal delivery programs lead to fewer hospital visits and lower healthcare costs.
- A Massachusetts study found a 31% reduction in hospitalizations among participants.
- The findings suggest potential for expanding similar programs to other states and insurance plans.
NewsWK — A recent study indicates that Medicaid patients who receive home-delivered meals experience significantly fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits. This finding highlights the potential benefits of meal delivery programs for individuals with conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Approximately a dozen states, including California, Massachusetts, and New York, have implemented programs that provide medically tailored meals. These meals are prepared by registered dietitian nutritionists and are designed to meet the specific dietary needs of individuals suffering from diet-related health issues.
The study, conducted in Massachusetts, revealed that Medicaid recipients who participated in the meal delivery program had a 31% reduction in hospitalizations and a 20% decrease in emergency department visits. Moreover, the average health costs per person decreased by $3,433, nearly covering the program’s expenses for taxpayers.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of Tufts University’s Food is Medicine Institute, stated, “Our results show that food really is medicine, with major clinical and policy implications for health insurance coverage of medically tailored meals to impact diet-related diseases and healthcare costs.” This assertion underscores the growing recognition of nutrition as a critical factor in managing health.
As more states explore the implementation of similar programs, the Massachusetts study serves as a potential model for how medically tailored meals can improve health outcomes while also delivering cost savings for state Medicaid programs. Advocates suggest that expanding such initiatives could prove beneficial for Medicare and even employer-based insurance plans.
Based on reporting by Anna Claire Vollers originally published by Stateline. Read the original story.
