MassHealth Nutrition Program Praised

BOSTON —MassHealth’s nutrition services program, which provides nutritious food to its members, has had positive results, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at UMass Chan Medical School.

Findings show that participating individuals were significantly less likely to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized compared to those who did not participate. The program also resulted in cost savings for MassHealth, which is Massachusetts’ combined Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program.
“We’re excited that MassHealth’s nutrition services program is proven to improve health outcomes and lower health care costs,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “This program is essential for helping families put nutritious food on the table and reducing food insecurity, while also improving their health and making it less likely they will need to seek care at a hospital or emergency room. This is good for our health and good for our economy.”
“We know that a healthy diet leads to better health outcomes,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “This study highlights that removing barriers to healthier eating is also a good investment in terms of cost savings.” 
The study evaluated more than 20,000 MassHealth members who were offered a range of nutrition services from January 2020 through March 2023. Services included medically tailored meals, home-delivered meals, food boxes, groceries, produce prescriptions, food vouchers, gift cards, and connections to community food pantries or federal nutrition program assistance.

Program participation was associated with a 23% reduction in hospitalizations and a 13% reduction in emergency department visits for MassHealth members who received services compared with those members who were eligible non-participants.

Adults with more than 90 days of enrollment had on average $2,502 less in healthcare expenditures compared with non-participants, which resulted in net cost savings to MassHealth after paying for program services for these adults. Furthermore, health care costs were on average $1,721 lower among MassHealth members while they were receiving services following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022-2023). 

“This study is even more important at this moment when the federal government is proposing cuts to Medicaid,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh. “It proves that by making smart investments upfront in health-related social needs like nutrition, we can actually lower health care spending while helping people live healthier lives. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s good policy for Medicaid spending, and we’re proud that MassHealth continues to lead the way nationally.” 

MassHealth introduced the nutrition initiative in 2020 through Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that partner with community-based organizations to deliver the services. MassHealth ACOs are health systems or groups of providers that accept responsibility for the quality and cost of care for a defined population of MassHealth members.