Jared Moelaart
https://newfoodeconomy.org/massachusetts-medicaid-recipients-masshealth-meals-grocery-money/
In this article, Massachusetts lawmakers have proposed a pilot program that will provide MassHealth (Medicaid) recipients with increased accessibility to institutionalized nutrition services. The primary purpose of the pilot program is to offer financial support and nutrition interventions for specific individuals with a chronic illness or lack of access to appropriate nutritional requirements. The proposed legislation would offer Medicaid participants pre-made meals, pre-selected groceries, and finances for nutritious foods. The benefits of the pilot program are determined by assessing the health issues and medical needs of patients, which are based upon detailed factors including age, disability, and family size. For instance, Massachusetts residents who are struggling with chronic illnesses, such as kidney disease or congestive heart failure, may be eligible to have already prepared meals delivered to their homes. Dietary conditions that are not chronic yet are still a threat to human health, such as high blood pressure, may also qualify for subsidies at grocery markets and food retail establishments.
The proposed Act, which is called An Act Relative to Establishing and Implementing a Food and Health Pilot Program, promotes the adoption of medically-tailored nutrition services in order to alleviate much of the burden facing MassHealth recipients with diet-related health conditions. Furthermore, this legislation plans to establish a Food and Health Pilot Research Commission, which will consist of nutrition experts and policy consultants for evaluation of the efficacy of every medically-tailored nutrition service. The commission will include a range of stakeholders from the Department of Public Health, Health Policy Commission, MassHealth, private academic research institutions, and community-based organizations with experience in delivering at least one or more of the aforementioned nutrition intervention services. Furthermore, this pilot program will also require significant outreach and coordination with local hospitals, grocery markets, and retail establishments to ensure that the benefits from this program will be able to fully extend to the MassHealth enrollees.
While the development and implementation of the pilot program is still being worked on by public health officials, delivering pre-made meals to program participants will not only reduce Massachusetts health care costs, but also will promote healthy eating. In a recently published study about the impact food may have on the Massachusetts health care system, it was reported that supplying premade and delivered meals were correlated with “a halving of inpatient hospital admissions and a 16% reduction in health care costs” (Fu, 2019). providing food as medicine is not a new strategy for helping those with medicalized nutrition requirements. Many municipal programs are already funding local programs that provide financial support for eligible food stamp users to spend money at local farmers markets. For example, one hospital in California has piloted a nutrition program that places medical experts in grocery stores in order to help shoppers and consumers navigate healthier purchasing options. However, it is imperative to acknowledge that everyone has individual and customary nutritional requirements, and these types of nutrition interventions may not be the right programs depending upon the person. Local, state, and federal agencies must continue to research, develop, and implement place-based nutritional intervention programs that acknowledge the medicinal and nutritional role that food can often play in the recovery of both chronic and acute illnesses.
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