Meals As Medicine

Meals As Medicine is a therapeutic nutrition intervention program aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing hospital readmission rates.

Designed by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN), medically-tailored meals support referring providers in treating chronic illness, targeting the specific nutritional needs of the patient.

Eligible members receive:

  • Home-delivered, healthy meals tailored to their health needs.
  • Two meals per day for up to 12 weeks, or longer if medically necessary (with new service authorization form).
  • Nutrition education from a health educator or Registered Dietitian.

Eligibility

To qualify, participants must be an active L.A. Care Medi-Cal or L.A. Care Medicare Plus (HMO D-SNP) member, and belong to any of the following population subsets: 

  1. Individuals with chronic conditions, such as but not limited to diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, congestive heart failure, stroke, chronic lung disorders, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cancer, gestational diabetes, or other high risk perinatal conditions, and chronic or disabling mental/behavioral health disorders.
  2. Individuals being discharged from the hospital or a skilled nursing facility or at high risk of hospitalization or nursing facility placement.
  3. Individuals with extensive care coordination needs.

Members with any of the following limitations are not eligible: 

  • Enrollment in another Meals As Medicine program. 
  • No access to cold food storage or unable to properly store meals.
  • Inability to heat or prepare meals for consumption.
  • Inability to receive delivered meals as scheduled.
  • A severe food allergy/intolerance or health condition that would make this Meals As Medicine program unsafe.

Program meals are not covered to respond solely to food insecurities. Referrals must be medically necessary. For more information, health care providers or referring entities may reference the Meals As Medicine Provider Flyer. A completed Meals As Medicine Service Authorization Request Form may be faxed to 213.536.0638.

Please note that a referral does not guarantee participation. Members that are institutionalized, or do not meet suitability criteria as determined by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist may be excluded. To learn more, please contact L.A. Care's Health Education Department at 855.856.6943, or send us a message.