Insights + Perspectives
Lavinia Williams, a Californian who has congestive heart failure (CHF), teared up when she spoke of the pilot program facilitated by Mom’s Meals® and Medicaid plan in California: “If I wasn’t part of the program, I don’t think I would be here. They saved my life.”
Approximately 6.2 million American adults live with CHF, the ongoing inability of the heart to pump enough blood through the body to ensure a sufficient supply of oxygen.
Williams was one of 93 people with CHF who took part in an initiative that provided medically tailored meals and easy access to other health-related tools for a period of six months.
Many of the participants, including Williams, saw their medical condition improve and, in some cases, drastically.
Healthy foods help reduce hospitalizations
In June 2021, 93 dually eligible members from a Medicaid Plan in California with congestive heart failure, with a minimum of four emergency department visits in the last 12 months and a high-risk profile, took part in a six-month pilot program of receiving lower-sodium medically tailored meals from Mom's Meals. Participants also received other supports, including calls with registered dietitians, community health workers, and nurse case managers, as well as produce and pantry boxes to help them transition to healthy lifestyle habits.
Program results included:
- 42% reduction in inpatient acute admissions
- 39% reduction in inpatient length of stay
- 39% reduction in unavoidable hospitalization
- 40% reduction in emergency department conversions to inpatient
Significant decreases in self-reported swelling of hands, legs, and feet occurred between baseline and mid-program and between baseline to the end-of-program (p. <.0001). Although there were no significant changes between mid-program and end-of program, the self-reported reductions in swelling that occurred early in the program were sustained.
The pilot program was not without limitations, including but not limited to overlaps in the delivery of tailored meals and produce and pantry boxes, the small sample size, and other concurrent interventions, all of which limits the ability to generalize study findings to a larger population.
Resources for you and your clients
For more insight, we have developed a suite of materials that includes a white paper, consumer brochure and articles that support the value of nutritious home-delivered meals to help improve heart health outcomes and costs.
To learn more about how the Mom’s Meals team can help you support your clients, please contact us.
