In 2022, the majority of MTM programs around the country are run by nonprofit organizations like Community Servings in Boston. The estimated reductions in hospitalizations and associated cost savings reflect that." "For people with chronic illness and physical limitations that make it difficult for them to shop and cook for themselves, these programs are a highly promising strategy for improving health and well-being. "Currently, MTMs are not a covered benefit under Medicare or Medicaid, so they remain unavailable to the vast majority of patients who might benefit from them," said Hager, a 2020 recipient of the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy grant. Over a 10-year period, $185.1 billion less could be spent on healthcare and nearly 18.3 million hospitalizations averted. The research team found that implementing additional MTM programs across the country could help prevent 1.6 million hospitalizations and save insurers a net amount of $13.6 billion per year after paying for the cost of food, with most savings occurring within the public health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid. It analyzed data drawn from a nationally representative survey on healthcare utilization and costs for American adults, the 2019 Medical Expenditure Survey Panel Survey, and from previously published research on the impact of MTM interventions. The study, published in JAMA Network Open on October 17, was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and led by Friedman School researcher Kurt Hager, a PhD candidate in the Food and Nutrition Policy and Programs program. The programs typically deliver 10 meals per week- five lunches and five dinners- to eligible patients. The meals often serve to support those with lower incomes and limited mobility, as well as individuals who regularly experience food insecurity. Medically tailored meals (MTMs) are healthy, home-delivered meals customized and fully prepared for individuals living with advanced illnesses, including diabetes, heart failure, end-stage renal disease, HIV, and cancer. Oct 17 2022Īdopting more programs that make and deliver medically tailored meals to people with serious, diet-sensitive diseases could result not only in improved health outcomes in the form of fewer hospitalizations nationally, but in a net cost savings of approximately $13.6 billion each year, according to new research from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
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