Bill to Provide Medicaid Coverage for Food as Medicine Gets Public Hearing

Connecticut lawmakers are considering a proposal to help address barriers to food security through support for Food as Medicine. 

Food as Medicine is a model of care by which healthcare providers develop care plans centered on nutrition that support the management of chronic disease conditions. 

HB 6101, An Act Concerning Medicaid Coverage Of Food As Medicine And Expanding Access To The Connecticut Farmers’ Market/Women, Infants And Children Nutrition Program was discussed at a public hearing on Thursday, February 20 at which advocates, including the Connecticut Hospital Association, testified in support of the bill, which would expand access to fruits and vegetables to families with low income by providing Medicaid coverage for “Food as Medicine” under a Section 1115 waiver and by addressing barriers to participation in the Connecticut Farmers’ Market/Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition program (CT WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition program). 

“For many low-income families, structural barriers to accessing healthy foods include the availability, affordability, and accessibility of nutritious food.  Connecticut hospitals and health systems routinely screen patients for health-related social needs (HRSN) and refer them to resources to address identified needs.  Food insecurity is one of the most frequently identified needs for their patients,” CHA said in its submitted testimony.

A recent Food Insecurity in Connecticut Report found that about 10% – 17% of the population is food insecure.

Click here to learn more about the food and nutrition programs Connecticut hospitals are providing to benefit their local communities, including multiple Food as Medicine initiatives.

Click here to read CHA’s testimony in support of the bill.