Project Angel Heart’s Post

Great summary of the progress made and the road ahead for #foodismedicine.

Common sense should rule here - do we think pre-packaged ramen noodles or fresh fruits and vegetables would be better for those with chronic conditions (or for all of us actually)? Let's get this right! #FoodIsMedicine

In their new Forefront article, Hilary Seligman and Rocco Perla of the University of California, San Francisco and THI - The Health Initiative argue that, under its existing authority, CMS should issue clarifying guidance to facilitate patients’ access to healthy food via Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill and/or primarily health-related benefits. "It is not just clinicians grappling with this question either. The federal government has increasingly recognized the importance of addressing social drivers of health (SDOH) in clinical settings. In 2022, CMS first incentivized providers to screen patients for five core SDOH (food insecurity, housing instability, transportation needs, difficulty paying utilities, and interpersonal safety) and recently added a display measure for SDOH screening and intervention in the 2025 Star Ratings for MA plans. In 2023, the White House committed to increase funding for screening and addressing SDOH in clinical settings, while recognizing that “marshalling health care resources to address SDOH can be challenging.” Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4ekOgCN

FIMC’s vision is a future state where anyone who needs the medically tailored meal or grocery interventions has access to the highest quality service, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live. This recent Health Affairs article outlines some of the ways policy makers can best support #foodismedicine interventions via Medicare and Medicaid to advance equitable access to these lifesaving services.

In exchange for spending more on health care than any other high-income country, the US has the lowest rate of life expectancy and the highest rate of chronic disease. Diet-related conditions claim 1.7 million US lives every year and are the leading driver behind the $4.1 trillion spent on health care each year. Furthermore, treatment for these conditions cost public health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid nearly $384 billion annually—a figure that is only expected to increase over time. https://lnkd.in/eVfiF3qk

Challenged with improving #adherence in your highest-risk, hardest-to-reach member cohort? Discover how addressing social determinants of health (#SDOH) can enhance medication adherence and treatment outcomes for your most vulnerable members, and learn strategies to overcome barriers such as access to healthy food, transportation and pharmacy services. Read our recent blog post and boost your #StarRating while improving member health: https://bit.ly/43KphUl #adherenceresolved #2024StarRatings #CMS

The "Food is Medicine" concept highlights nutrition's role in preventing and managing chronic diseases. Here's how food impacts various health aspects through a direct, bullet-point summary: #Heart Disease - **Healthy Fats and Fiber**: Lower cholesterol with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. - **Reduced Sodium**: Minimize sodium to cut blood pressure and inflammation risks. #Diabetes - **High-Fiber Foods**: Stabilize blood sugar with legumes, nuts, and grains. - **Consistent Meals**: Regular, balanced meals are crucial for effective diabetes management. #Obesity - **Calorie Control**: Manage weight through lower-calorie, whole, unprocessed foods. - **Nutrient Focus**: Emphasize nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods for weight maintenance. #Metabolic Health - **Reduce Inflammation**: Antioxidant-rich diets, like the Mediterranean diet, help lower inflammation. - **Gut Health**: A fiber-rich diet supports a healthy gut, boosting metabolism and lowering disease risk. #Economic and Accessibility - **Cost-Effective**: Preventing diseases with diet is cheaper than medical treatments. - **Increased Access**: Programs like produce prescriptions improve healthy food access for underserved communities. #Clinical and Policy Integration - **Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)**: Tailored diets from healthcare professionals to manage medical conditions. - **Supportive Policies**: Government and local policies promote healthy eating through educational programs and guidelines. This framework illustrates that strategic dietary choices not only prevent and control chronic illnesses but also foster economic and public health improvements.

Elevating Health Equity, PQA's 3rd Social Determinants of Health Guide is here and explores the 7 SDOH barriers🔍 Cost of Medications, Cultural/Literacy Barriers, Decent, Safe, Affordable, Food Security, Screening for Unmet Needs, Social Isolation and Transportation. Basic needs we often overlook but play a crucial role in the growing disparities among communities. Pharmacists play a unique role in helping to be a voice for patients and find ways to collaborate and create partnerships across the care team to make sure these needs are met and break down barriers for a healthier, more equitable future! 💊🌍 #SDOH #HealthEquity #PharmacyInnovation 📘Pharmacy Times

The Health Act 2017 is a law that was enacted to provide for the regulation and management of the health sector in Kenya. It seeks to ensure that every person has access to quality and affordable healthcare services. It also aims to foster cooperation and accountability among all stakeholders involved in the delivery of health services. Some of its main principles and provisions are: ➡️ It establishes the Kenya Health Sector Intergovernmental Consultative Forum, which is a platform for coordination and collaboration between the national and county governments on health matters. ➡️ It creates the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council, which is a body that advises the national and county governments on matters relating to human resources for health, such as planning, training, deployment, retention, and regulation. ➡️ It sets up the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority, which is an authority that oversees and coordinates the activities of all health professional regulatory bodies, such as the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board, the Nursing Council of Kenya, and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. ➡️ It provides for the establishment of a single regulatory body for health products and technologies, which will be responsible for regulating the quality, safety, efficacy, and availability of all health products and technologies, such as medicines, medical devices, vaccines, blood products, and traditional and alternative medicines. ➡️ It outlines the rights and duties of patients, health care providers, and users of health services, such as reproductive health, emergency treatment, health information, consent, confidentiality, and complaints. ➡️ It mandates the provision of public and environmental health services by both levels of government, such as disease prevention and control, sanitation and hygiene, food safety, occupational health and safety, and disaster management. ➡️ It promotes the recognition and integration of mental health services into the general health system, and provides for the protection of the rights of persons with mental disorders. ➡️ It regulates the practice of traditional and alternative medicine, and provides for its documentation, mapping, standardization, referral, and charges. ➡️ It governs the donation, collection, testing, processing, storage, distribution, and use of human organs, human blood, blood products, other tissues and gametes for therapeutic purposes. ➡️ It provides for a framework for health financing, including the establishment of a bank account for each level of government to receive funds allocated for health services. ➡️ It recognizes the role of the private sector in providing health services, and provides for its regulation and participation in public-private partnerships. Find the source in the comments. #KenyanHealthAct #HealthcareForAll #HealthRegulations #PatientRights #PublicHealth #MentalHealthMatters #TraditionalMedicine #HealthFinancing #PrivateSectorHealthcare

WEBINAR! Momentum to integrate food and nutrition insecurity interventions into health care is poised to continue in 2024, with more providers screening for health-related social needs and connecting patients to produce vouchers, medically-tailored meals, and other Food is Medicine interventions. Health care systems are also increasingly experimenting with new ways to engage patients about government benefit programs such as WIC and SNAP, leveraging these programs as part of a Food is Medicine framework, and embracing the role that health care can play in boosting participation among eligible individuals. On February 26, join the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation in conversation with three health care systems driving increased coordination of health care, referrals, and food safety net programs: Healthcare Network, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Florida and recipient of a 2023 WIC Community Innovation and Outreach Project (WIC CIAO) grant. Kaiser Permanente, a leading health care provider and not-for-profit health plan deploying an innovative texting-based outreach campaign and other efforts to help people apply for government programs. Community Care Cooperative (C3), a Federally Qualified Health Center-led Accountable Care Organization in Massachusetts focused on advancing integrated and coordinated community-based care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Panelists will highlight program experiences, research efforts, lessons learned and strategies. Register here: https://ow.ly/I9Rc50QAKIE