119th (2025–2027)
S. 2834
This bill establishes a six-year Medicare pilot program in which hospitals provide medically tailored meals to certain Medicare beneficiaries to improve their health and reduce hospital readmissions. The program will enroll at least 40 eligible hospitals—selected by June 2027—that employ or contract with registered dietitians and clinical staff to screen patients during discharge and identify those with diet-related conditions like diabetes, heart failure, and kidney disease who have mobility limitations. Participating hospitals must provide eligible patients with at least two medically tailored meals per day for minimum 12-week periods, along with nutrition counseling, at no cost to beneficiaries. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will evaluate the program's impact on hospital readmissions, overall health outcomes, and costs, submitting reports to Congress at three years and eight years after implementation. Funding comes from the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, with payments to participating hospitals offset by corresponding reductions to other hospital Medicare payments to ensure budget neutrality.