Impact of Medically Tailored Meals on Obesity, Other Health Outcomes, and Healthcare Utilization
under Medicaid Flexible Services
Summary/Abstract
Medically tailored meal (MTM) interventions are of rapidly growing interest to healthcare systems, payers,
patients, and policy makers. MTMs are fully prepared, nutritionally customized, and generally home-delivered
healthy meals for individuals living with advanced and costly diet-sensitive conditions, such as diabetes, heart
failure, end stage renal disease, HIV, and cancer. Meal plans are designed by a registered dietitian nutritionist
based on diagnoses and nutritional assessment. Several preliminary studies have suggested that MTM
programs can reduce healthcare utilization and healthcare costs for high-risk patients. Impacts on obesity,
glucose control, and related health outcomes have not been evaluated. This collaborative initiative will assess
the impacts of MTMs on obesity, diabetes control, blood pressure, healthcare utilization, and healthcare costs
under an ongoing Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Medicaid pilot involving multiple hospitals in the state.
This is a scientifically compelling research opportunity with national relevance, bringing together researchers,
community-based organizations, large nonprofit health care systems, and state government.
