Press Releases

For seniors living with chronic illnesses, access to nutritious food tailored to their medical needs can help them manage their conditions and improve their health. Similar programs have already shown promise in Massachusetts and across the country by providing meals designed by registered dietitians for patients with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease.

The legislation creates a 6-year Medicare pilot program at 40 hospitals to deliver medically tailored meals, in partnership with trusted community-based providers, for Medicare beneficiaries who live at home and have a diet-impacted disease like diabetes or heart failure after they leave the hospital. The meals are medically tailored, meaning they are designed by nutritionists to accommodate the specific health needs of a patient. The legislation is budget neutral with no additional cost to taxpayers.

"For years, I’ve traveled across Massachusetts and the country learning from experts about how we can help improve nutrition and health outcomes. Incredible providers like Community Servings in Boston, God’s Love We Deliver in New York City, and many others from coast to coast have taught me about the life-saving benefits of Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs),” said Rep. McGovern. “You can’t be healthy if you’re hungry—and that’s why I'm proud to author this legislation with Rep. Malliotakis to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital visits, and save billions of dollars in healthcare spending. It’s a big step forward in our fight for a country where no one goes to bed hungry and everyone has access to the affordable, quality healthcare they deserve.”

“I’m pleased to see our bipartisan Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act pass the Ways and Means Committee to help seniors who have difficulty shopping or cooking on their own receive healthy meals,” said Rep. Malliotakis. "For seniors living with serious chronic illnesses, access to nutritious meals tailored to their medical needs can help them better manage their conditions, stay healthier at home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. This pilot will allow us to measure the results and determine how we can improve outcomes for seniors while potentially lowering healthcare costs for taxpayers.”

Now that the legislation has been approved by the committee, it can advance to the House floor for a vote. Both lawmakers will continue working to get the bill across the finish line and signed into law before the end of the year.