Supporting Medically Tailored Meals

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, one of the major reasons people get readmitted to the hospital is what is in their cabinet at home or, more notably, what isn't.

A poor diet, combined with conditions like heart disease and diabetes, contributes to a staggering number of hospital readmissions every day.

Finally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is providing greater flexibility for those using and paying for medically tailored meals. For those too sick to cook, these prepared and delivered medically tailored meals often make all the difference.

It has been a long road to get here. I have introduced legislation on this, launched the Food is Medicine Working Group, and uplifted organizations across America that prepare these meals.

We still need to push for medically tailored meals to be a covered Medicare benefit, but this is great news and one of the many transformative changes stemming from last year's White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. It will make opening the pantry less painful for our neighbors and help end hunger now.

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