A recent research published in Nature Medicine found that Massachusetts Medicaid members who were recipients of medically tailored meals had 31% lesser incidence of hospitalizations and 20%reduction in emergency room visits.
People with chronic health care conditions like diabetes, heart disease, depression, who received home-delivered, dietitian-designed meals had very little health emergencies and lower health care cost than those who did not.
What Are Medically Tailored Meals?
Medically tailored meals are curated by registered dietitians, according to each patient’s health condition and their dietary needs according to a physician’s recommendations. Medically tailored meals can help an individual achieve and maintain overall wellness.
Multiple studies have shown that what we eat on a regular basis has a huge impact on our health. It is to be understood that food is a complementary form of medicine.These meals are a reflection of the latest medical nutrition therapy which is backed by evidence based therapeutic approach.
Different Type of Medically Tailored Meals
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Meals for food insecurities
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Meals for post discharge
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Meals for chronic conditions
Benefits of Medically Tailored Meals
The study published in Nature Medicine showed that there was a significant reduction in hospitalizations and emergency visits within months when participants were receiving meals and also found that long term recipients of these meals had a large improvement in healthcare costs.
“These findings show that medically tailored meals can be both clinically effective and economically sustainable within Medicaid,” said Kurt Hager, an assistant professor of population and quantitative health sciences at UMass Chan.
Medical nutrition therapy
People with chronic diseases require meals that are aligned with their recommended nutrition guidelines.Medical nutrition therapy services are defined as “nutritional diagnostic, therapy, and counseling services for the purpose of disease management which is furnished by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional pursuant to a referral by a physician.” Medical nutrition therapy involves full assessment and continued monitoring and evaluation of the patient and adjusting the meal plan timely.
Medical nutrition therapy includes foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, low sodium, low fat. The main emphasis is on eating a balanced and nutritious meal.
These medically tailored meals can be the cost effective and common sense solution for the increasing number of chronic healthcare conditions. They can be the key to eliminate food insecurities and manage the rising healthcare cost. With health insurance companies coming forward with more policies for medically tailored meals, it can address a huge global problem of chronic illnesses.
MBH/DB