H.R. 5439

Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a temporary program through which certain Medicare beneficiaries with diet-impacted diseases may receive medically tailored meals at home to reduce their rate of hospital readmissions.

Specifically, the CMS must select, upon application, at least 40 hospitals to participate in a six-year program to deliver medically tailored meals to qualifying individuals' homes. Participating hospitals must meet specified program integrity and quality of care metrics and certify that they are able to provide the required meals and associated medical nutrition therapy. Hospitals must have a physician, registered dietitian or nutrition professional, advanced practice nurse, or clinical social worker screen inpatients upon discharge from the hospital and every 12 weeks thereafter to determine whether these individuals qualify for the meal program. 

In order to qualify for the program, individuals must have a diet-impacted disease (e.g., kidney disease), live at home, not be receiving extended care services or hospice care, be limited with respect to at least two activities of daily living, and meet any other criteria for high-risk readmissions (as determined by the CMS).