By California Black Media
Launched in 2018, the Medically Tailored Meals pilot program was designed to help Medi-Cal patients with congestive heart failure by reducing hospital readmissions and emergency department visits by providing tailored meals meeting specific dietary needs.
The program’s success in improving health outcomes and reducing costly emergency room visits encouraged the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to expand the Medically Tailored Meals program to all 58 counties through Medi-Cal transformation and a new set of services called Community Supports.
Medically Tailored Meals are one of 14 new services offered through Medi-Cal that provide members with access to new and improved services to get well-rounded care that goes beyond the doctor’s office or hospital.
Medically Tailored Meals: Overview
Malnutrition and poor nutrition can lead to severe health outcomes, especially among Medi-Cal patients with chronic health conditions. Medically Tailored Meals aim to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions, and enhance patient satisfaction by providing essential nutrition.
Key Features:
- Post-Discharge Delivery: Meals are delivered to patients’ homes immediately following discharge from a hospital or nursing home.
- Customized Nutrition: Meals are tailored to meet the dietary needs of those with chronic diseases, designed by registered dietitians (RD) or certified nutrition professionals based on evidence-based guidelines.
- Comprehensive Services: Includes medically tailored groceries, healthy food vouchers, and food pharmacies.
- Educational Support: Behavioral, cooking, and nutrition education is included when paired with direct food assistance.
Key Benefits:
- Address Food Insecurity: Mitigates poor health outcomes linked to food insecurity.
- Support Complex Care Needs: Tailored to individuals with chronic conditions.
- Improve Health Outcomes: Studies show improvements in diabetes control, fall prevention, and medication adherence.
Patient Testimonial:
“Having Mama’s Kitchen meals helped bring my A1C numbers down by 2.3% in two months! They also helped me recreate the meals, so shopping and maintaining my lower numbers became sustainable.” Martha, Mama’s Kitchen Client
Eligibility:
- Eligible Populations: Eligible Medi-Cal members include those with chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, congestive heart failure, stroke, chronic lung disorders, HIV, cancer, gestational diabetes, and chronic mental or behavioral health disorders. Also, those being discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility or at high risk of hospitalization or nursing facility placement are also eligible.
- Service Limitations: Up to two meals per day for up to 12 weeks, extendable if medically necessary. Meals eligible for reimbursement by alternate programs are not covered.
Cost Savings and Improved Health Outcomes:
- Health Outcomes: Research indicates a 22% to 58% decrease in emergency department visits and a 27% to 63% decrease in inpatient admissions among Medically Tailored Meals recipients, translating to significant health care cost savings.
Mama’s Kitchen: A Success Story
Mama’s Kitchen has established itself as a crucial partner in California’s Medically Tailored Medi-Cal program by offering meals to vulnerable populations with severe and chronic illnesses.
Originally focused on HIV/AIDS, the organization has expanded to serve individuals with cancer, heart failure, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Under Medi-Cal, Mama’s Kitchen delivers over 816,000 meals annually to more than 2,600 individuals and families in San Diego County, offering nutrition specifically designed to support patients’ health and manage complex conditions.
The organization’s success in consistently delivering high-quality, medically tailored meals, combined with its recent accreditation by the Food is Medicine Coalition (FIMC), underscores its critical role in advancing the food as medicine movement within the Medi-Cal framework.
Mama’s Kitchen’s partnership with Medi-Cal not only addresses food insecurity but also helps reduce hospital readmissions and emergency room visits, demonstrating the successful integration of medically tailored nutrition into Medi-Cal’s mission to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care.
Join Us in Our Mission
You can experience the profound impact of Medically Tailored Meals by joining the Medi-Cal Community Supports services initiative. Your involvement can make a difference in promoting your health through nutrition.
Learn More
For more information about Medically Tailored Meals and how to get involved, call the state’s Medi-Cal Health Care options at 800-430-4263 or contact your local managed care plan.
In San Diego County, Medi-Cal recipients can contact the following managed care plans:
- Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan: 800-605-2556
- Community Health Group Partnership Plan: 800-224-7766
- Kaiser Permanente: 855-839-7613
- Molina Healthcare of California Partner Plan, Inc: 888-665-4621
Your health and well-being are your health care provider’s top priority. Medically Tailored Meals are designed to enhance quality of life by advancing health care through the power of nutrition. Experience the benefits today and take the first step toward a healthier you.
