Food & Friends supports The Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Pilot Act. In January of 2024 we signed on to a field-wide letter of support led by our peers in the national Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC). The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a 4-year demonstration program to provide medically tailored meals to some of our nation’s most vulnerable Medicare enrollees.

We're grateful to the cosponsors of H.R. 6780 for putting a spotlight on these issues: Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Dwight Evans (D-PA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). We’re also grateful for the collaboration with the companion bill (S. 2133) introduced by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA). This bi-cameral backing gives us key opportunities to support the health of older Americans and food is medicine services in the new year. Additional co-sponsors are continually signing on. 

The No Senior Hungry Omnibus Act of 2021 was passed by the D.C. Council and became law in March of 2023. Food & Friends co-signed a letter of support for the bill and advocated for its passing. Among other policy updates, it amended the Department of Health Care Finance Establishment Act of 2007 to require reimbursable services under the Elderly and Persons with Physical Disabilities Medicaid waiver to include home-delivered meals, nutrition supplements, and medical nutrition therapy. The current status is we are awaiting funding from the D.C. Council.