Resolve, To Reduce MaineCare Spending through Targeted Nutrition Interventions

Sec. 1. Department of Health and Human Services to seek demonstration waiver. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall file an application with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to request a demonstration waiver under the federal Social Security Act, Section 1115 to allow medically tailored food and nutrition interventions to be a reimbursable covered service. Medically tailored food and nutrition interventions may be used when a health care provider determines that certain elements of nutrition or foods based upon a nutrition plan developed by a licensed dietitian are necessary for a patient's health. The determination by the health care provider may be for reasons of preventive health care or to support treatment for a patient, may be for a patient who is homebound and unable to prepare nutritious foods and is at a high risk for admission or readmission to a health care facility or may be to assist in a patient's health outcome.

Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall report annually for 5 years by January 1st to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters on the use of services provided under a demonstration waiver under section 1, including how many individuals have qualified for a nutrition intervention under section 1 and the duration of and conditions treated under the nutrition intervention. The report must also include data on hospital readmission rates for 2 categories of individuals with similar health conditions: individuals who have received nutrition interventions and individuals who have not received nutrition interventions.

Sec. 3. Department of Health and Human Services to file application for home-delivered meal coverage. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall file the application by October 1, 2019 with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to request that home-delivered meals be reimbursable under MaineCare as directed by Resolve 2015, chapter 54.

summary

This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services to file an application with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a demonstration waiver to allow for reimbursement of medically tailored food and nutrition interventions when a health care provider determines that certain elements of nutrition or foods based upon a nutrition plan developed by a licensed dietitian are necessary for a patient's health. This resolve also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to file the application by October 1, 2019 with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to request that home-delivered meals be reimbursable under MaineCare as directed by Resolve 2015, chapter 54.