This bill establishes a Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Program for certain Medicare beneficiaries after they are discharged from a hospital.
Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must establish a four-year demonstration program under which hospitals provide medically tailored, home-delivered meals and associated nutrition therapy for beneficiaries who have a diet-impacted disease (e.g., kidney disease) after they are discharged from the hospital. Hospitals must screen individuals to determine if they qualify for the program as part of the discharge planning process and continue to screen these individuals as part of program participation. Qualifying individuals must live at home, be limited with respect to at least two activities of daily living, and not be eligible for certain other home services (e.g., home health services), along with other specified criteria.
The CMS must report on the impact of the program with respect to clinical outcomes and costs, particularly with respect to hospital admissions.
