Special meal programmes made for people with serious health conditions may help them stay healthier and lower their medical costs, according to a new study.
Researchers found that people who received medically tailored meals had fewer hospital visits and spent less on healthcare than people with similar health conditions who didn’t receive the meals. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine. It was carried out by researchers from Tufts University, UMass Chan Medical School, Community Servings, and several healthcare organisations in Massachusetts.
Medically tailored meals are meals planned by registered dietitians for people with specific medical conditions. The meals are created to meet each person’s health needs and are delivered directly to their homes.
The study focused on adults covered by Medicaid in Massachusetts. Medicaid is a government health insurance program that supports people with low incomes or disabilities. Around 71 million Americans receive healthcare through the program.
Massachusetts was one of the first U.S. states to offer medically tailored meals through Medicaid on a large scale. This gave researchers a chance to study how the program worked in everyday healthcare.
The team examined Medicaid records collected between 2020 and 2023. They looked at 1,866 people who received medically tailored meals and compared them with similar Medicaid members who were eligible for the program but did not receive the meals.
To make the comparison as fair as possible, the researchers considered many factors. These included age, gender, existing medical conditions, and previous use of healthcare services. Community Servings, a non-profit organisation based in Boston, prepared and delivered the meals.
Each participant first met with a registered dietitian nutritionist. The dietitian created a meal plan based on the person’s medical condition, nutritional needs, and food preferences. Participants received ten meals every week. The meals included breakfast, lunch, dinner, and healthy snacks.
People stayed in the program for different lengths of time. Some received meals for only three months, while others stayed for nearly three years. On average, participants remained in the program for about six months. The results showed clear health benefits.
People who received medically tailored meals had 31% fewer hospital admissions than those who did not receive the program. Emergency department visits also declined by 20%. Healthcare spending also fell while participants received meals. On average, medical costs were reduced by $3,433 per person. These savings covered about 98% of the cost of providing the meal program.
Researchers also found that the greatest financial benefits The study revealed that individuals with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and depression experienced the most significant financial benefits. The study revealed that individuals with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and depression experienced the most significant financial benefits.
The study suggested that longer participation produced even greater savings. Patients who stayed on the meal program for a longer period experienced larger reductions in healthcare costs.
Importantly, the meals did not replace necessary medical care. Participants continued to attend primary care appointments, showing that the program supported healthcare rather than reducing access to doctors.
To test the reliability of the findings, researchers carried out several additional analyses. They also reviewed healthcare records from before participants joined the program. This helped confirm that the improvements were linked to the meal program rather than differences that already existed between the two groups.
Senior author Dariush Mozaffarian said the findings provide strong evidence that healthy food can play an important role in treating chronic disease. He said the results could influence future decisions about insurance coverage for medically tailored meals.
Lead author Kurt Hager said the study shows that these programs can improve patient health while also reducing healthcare spending within Medicaid. The researchers also pointed out some limitations. Because participants were not randomly selected, other unknown factors may have influenced the results. In addition, the program was run by an experienced non-profit that mainly served people facing serious health and financial challenges. Similar programs in different settings may produce different results.
Many US states are now testing nutrition programs through Medicaid. Federal health officials have also highlighted the value of nutrition in improving health. The researchers believe the Massachusetts results could help guide similar programs across the country and encourage wider use of medically tailored meals in both public and private health insurance systems.
