Kaiser Permanente reduced rehospitalizations and deaths among Medicare Advantage members 30 days after hospitalizations using meal benefits.
A study published June 25 in JAMA Health Forum compared Kaiser Foundation Medicare Advantage members with heart failure and other chronic conditions who received at least two medically tailored meals daily to those who did not receive meals.
The study found among patients without heart failure, 30-day risks of rehospitalization and mortality were lower for those who received meals. Among the group that received meals after their hospitalization, 16.5 percent were rehospitalized or died in the 30 days after discharge, compared to 22.4 percent of those who did not receive meals.
Among those hospitalized for heart failure, the meals were less effective at preventing rehospitalizations and deaths.
The study's authors wrote that more research is needed to determine if health plans should screen more proactively for members in need of nutrition assistance, and to determine the ideal duration of nutrition assistance after hospitalizations.
Read the full study here.