US SB2834

Establishes a 6-year Medicare pilot program requiring at least 40 hospitals to provide medically tailored home-delivered meals to discharged patients with diet-impacted diseases (kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes, COPD) who have limitations in 2+ daily living activities

Participating hospitals must deliver at least 2 meals daily for 12-week periods, meeting two-thirds of nutritional needs, along with medical nutrition therapy for 12 weeks to 1 year

Eligible patients must be Medicare Part A beneficiaries living at home, not receiving similar benefits from other programs, not in hospice or extended care, and at high risk for hospital readmission

Program services provided without deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance, funded through the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund with budget neutrality maintained by reducing other hospital payments

Secretary must select hospitals by June 30, 2027, conduct intermediate and final evaluations comparing health outcomes and readmission rates to non-participants, and report to Congress at 3 and 8 years post-implementation