Adopting 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.
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. The meals often serve to support those with lower incomes and limited mobility, as well as individuals who regularly experience food insecurity. The programs typically deliver 10 meals per week—five lunches and five dinners—to eligible patients.
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, N19, a PhD candidate in the Food and Nutrition Policy and Programs program. 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 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. Over a 10-year period, $185.1 billion less could be spent on healthcare and nearly 18.3 million hospitalizations averted.