Meal delivery could be key to cut costs Medical billsNutritionists claim.
However, not just any diet will do. For patients with certain conditions that require special dietary requirements and interfere with daily life, Medically tailored meals A study by the American Academy of Nutrition found that MTM could lead to “significant savings.”
Based on a previous MTM program that provided 10 meals per week for eight months, the study concluded that a broader rollout would result in cost savings in nearly every state in the U.S.
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Using data from nearly seven million US adults with “diet-sensitive chronic diseases,” the researchers used a computer model to predict how MTM use would affect medical costs and hospitalizations.
The findings were presented at NUTRITION 2024, the American Academy of Nutrition’s flagship annual meeting, held in Chicago earlier this month.
Nutrition researchers say meal delivery could be key to cutting health care costs. (iStock)
The Benefits of a Medically Formulated Diet
In the MTM program, a nutritionist Customized Meal Plans According to a press release from the American Academy of Nutrition, the formula will be tailored to meet the individual health needs of each patient.
Ready-to-eat meals will be delivered to patients’ homes.
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These programs are being tested in certain areas of the U.S. but are not yet widely available.
“Even when accounting for implementation costs, our study estimates that for patients with food-sensitive conditions, medically tailored diets (MTM) would generate net cost savings in nearly all states (Diabetes and Heart Disease“This study suggests that diabetes may be linked to symptoms (diabetic retinopathy, diabetic retinal disease) and limitations in daily life,” lead study author Shuyue Deng, a doctoral student at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital in an email.
In the MTM program, dietitians create customized meal plans and deliver them to patients’ homes. (iStock)
The state with the highest savings was Connecticut, at $6,219 per year.
Other states with the biggest savings included Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Arizona and Ohio.
Deng said this type of meal delivery has also been shown to reduce hospitalizations across the state.
The researchers found wide variations in cost savings and hospitalization reductions across states.
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For example, in Maryland, the annual net premium savings per patient treated with MTM was relatively low, but the rate of avoided hospitalizations was relatively high, Deng said.
In contrast, Connecticut had high annual net premium savings per patient treated with MTM but relatively low rates of avoided hospitalizations.
The survey results showed that California had the most patients eligible for MTM (more than 1.22 million) and Alaska had the least (approximately 17,800).
The researchers concluded that additional benefits may include increased independence and quality of life for patients who would otherwise be unable to grocery shop or prepare meals. (iStock)
The researchers concluded that additional benefits may include increased independence and quality of life for patients who would otherwise be unable to grocery shop or prepare meals.
“Based on our new findings, health systems should consider incorporating MTM into treatment plans for patients with chronic conditions that limit their activities of daily living,” Deng said.
“State policymakers should also consider ways to expand access to MTM through insurance coverage and public health efforts.”
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Dr. Christopher Gardner, a nutritionist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, agreed that states could reduce health care costs by providing tailored diets to patients.
“There is strong evidence Eating habit “Diet is important for optimal health,” Gardner, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
In the MTM program, dietitians create customized meal plans tailored to each patient’s individual health needs. (iStock)
“Unhealthy eating habits lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Treating these diseases is very expensive for the health care system.”
Make something healthy Changes in diet This will help prevent and treat these chronic diseases, leading to reduced medical costs, doctors said.
“If medically tailored diets help people with or at risk for chronic disease change their healthy eating habits, the cost of providing the meals could be covered by reduced health care costs,” he added.
“Food is medicine”
According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website, last year the department rolled out an initiative called “Food is Medicine” that focuses on “integrating consistent access to food and nutrition resources.”
“One of the principles of ‘Food is Medicine’ is to customize and personalize meals for people and patients to increase satisfaction and consumption,” Gardner said.
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This approach also includes medically tailored grocery (delivery or assistance with healthy groceries) and produce prescriptions (delivery or provision of healthy vegetables and fruits).
“Medically tailored diets will be part of an overall larger strategy to support healthy and sustainable dietary changes,” Gardner added.
The importance of personalized meals
Gardner said if meal plans aren’t personalized, people are less likely to stick with them.
“Past research has not simply Healthy eating “It’s not enough to support real and sustainable dietary change,” he said.
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If a meal doesn’t suit a person’s taste preferences or food intolerances, or isn’t “culturally appropriate,” it’s less likely to be eaten, Gardner said.
“Unhealthy eating habits lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Treating these diseases is very expensive for the health care system.”
The diet is not appropriate for the patient’s clinical condition (e.g., low-sodium diet) heart failureExperts pointed out that diets that limit simple carbohydrates for diabetes and saturated fats for heart disease are not particularly effective.
The study found that cost was one of the main barriers to MTM adoption.
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“Costs associated with MTM include the costs of producing and delivering the meals, the costs of hiring dietitians, and the administrative costs of administering the program,” the researchers wrote.
“Medically tailored diets will be part of an overall larger strategy to support healthy and sustainable dietary changes,” the nutrition expert said. (iStock)
Gardner added that they will also need kitchen appliances to heat and store the donated meals.
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Questions also remain about the optimal number of meals and the target duration for such programs, he added.
Going forward, the researchers plan to further explore factors that influence the program’s costs, such as fluctuations in food prices across the country.
