On a weekday morning in a quiet Boston neighborhood, a kitchen bustled with activity.Volunteers sliced chicken breasts, stuffed bell peppers, filled trays, and carefully labeled each item.This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News.It was part of an experiment to offer nutritious and medicall- tailored meals to Medicaid patients who are unable to shop for groceries and cook for themselves."Once I started to eat these meals that were geared toward my illness, I built up my muscle mass again, built up my strength, built up my confidence in myself," said Vanessa Georges, who is in remission from throat cancer and said she would struggle to consume enough calories without the deliveries.
"These meals have given me a second chance."Georges said she noticed another benefit from the meals: She spends less time at the doctor's office.Researchers have found evidence backing her observation.About 1,900 Massachusetts residents who, like Georges, received medically-tailored meals for at least three months needed less medical care, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
They had 20% fewer emergency department visits and 31% fewer hospitalizations than similar patients who did not receive meals."It actually saves the healthcare system money," said Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor at Tufts University who led the study."That's a really big deal, because most things in healthcare don't."The research from Massachusetts adds to evidence that medically-tailored meals could save states money — in addition to improving health.
Yet such programs could land on the chopping block as states look to tighten spending under Trump administration budget cuts, even as federal officials argue that food is a critical component of health.The 2025 law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashed projected Medicaid funding by more than $900 billion.Many Republicans who backed the bill believe federal health spending is too high and ridd...