Poor diet, exacerbated by food insecurity, is now the leading cause of death and disease in the United States. Policymakers, health care providers, and payers are seeking clinical and non-clinical opportunities to address food and nutrition insecurity to improve health outcomes and decrease health care costs. The Health Law Lab develops resources illustrating the current gaps, innovations, and policy opportunities in this field, and works with partners to drive related health system reform.
CHLPI offers pro bono technical assistance to community organizations, nonprofits, coalitions, and local, state, and tribal government entities who are interested in implementing and scaling Food is Medicine policy and programs.
Organizations that are interested in increasing equitable access to Food is Medicine services and promoting practices that have positive upstream impacts on the food system and communities can click here to learn more about the support that CHLPI offers.
A multi-sector coalition, co-led by CHLPI and Community Servings. FIMMA is tasked with coordinating the implementation of the Food is Medicine 15, a series of targeted policy recommendations outlined in The Massachusetts Food is Medicine State Plan.
A two-year initiative that investigated the access, gaps, and barriers associated with Food is Medicine services across Massachusetts from food insecurity screening to food and nutrition interventions. The report provides a blueprint for building a health care system that recognizes the critical relationship between food and health and ensures access to food and nutrition services Massachusetts residents need to prevent, manage, and treat diet-related illness.
To learn more about FIMMA and the State Plan visit foodismedicinema.org.
In collaboration with the Aspen Institute’s Food & Society program, CHLPI is leading development of a Food is Medicine Research Action Plan. With the goal of informing the integration of nutrition interventions into our current and near-future health care system, the Action Plan assesses the peer-reviewed evidence base for the use of food in health care and issues a series of recommendations for making the most impactful investments in Food is Medicine research moving forward. The Research Action Plan was updated in 2024.
Through its Mainstreaming Produce Prescriptions project, CHLPI works to identify strategies to fund, scale, and integrate Produce Prescription Programs – a popular nutrition intervention that improves patient access to fruits and vegetables – into health care delivery and food system infrastructure. In March 2021, CHLPI released Mainstreaming Produce Prescriptions: A Policy Strategy Report, which outlines 20 core recommendations for increasing access to these important programs across the United States. Earlier in 2023, CHLPI released a companion resource, Mainstreaming Produce Prescriptions in Medicaid Managed Care: A Policy Toolkit and Resource Library.
Over the past two weeks, there has been a flurry of activity from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that affects health-related social needs (HRSN) and Food is Medicine (FIM) services in Medicare and Medicaid: Medicare Parts C & D Contract Year 2026 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: On November 26, 2024, CMS announced […]
The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation Welcomes Technical Assistance Proposals to Support State Food is Medicine Initiatives Expanded efforts to increase equitable access to state Food is Medicine services 12/2/2024 – (Cambridge, MA) The Center for Health Policy and Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School seeks proposals from state partners to leverage its […]
The Health Law Lab, in partnership with California’s Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Steering Committee, released the final case studies in a series of five focused on California’s efforts to expand access to and coverage of nutrition interventions and other services for people enrolled in Medicaid.
The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School offers a deep dive into pathways for supporting Produce Prescriptions via Medicaid Managed Care.
In a new letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), CHLPI and partner organizations lift up the voices of 35 stakeholders across 19 states.
Insights on new program can advance health equity, improve access to care, help speed adoption of similar policies nationwide. Today, the Health Law Lab at the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School, in partnership with California’s Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Steering Committee, released new case studies illuminating efforts […]
Several 1115 waivers approved over the past few months further drive the integration of food is medicine into Medicaid. There are many notable developments to reflect on—approval to calculate, under certain circumstances, food supports at the household level in Massachusetts and the seemingly widespread dedication of funding to support critical infrastructure development among others. In […]
This week, President Biden announced that, for the first time in over 50 years, the White House will host a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The Conference, planned for September 2022, will bring together nutrition and anti-hunger advocates, health care entities, food companies, all levels of government, tribal and territory communities, and others to […]
Last week, the United States Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) released its first-ever Draft Research Plan on Preventive Services for Food Insecurity (the “Draft Research Plan”). The Draft Research Plan, available for public comments until March 23, 2022, is an exciting step toward more sustainable coverage of Food is Medicine interventions across the country. This blog […]
A growing number of health care systems are partnering with food banks, food pantries, and other community-based organizations, acknowledging the major role that food plays in impacting health outcomes. Yet, laws designed to protect patients in traditional medical settings have emerged as barriers to these innovative community-clinical partnerships. A new resource by the Center for […]
Like many organizations innovating to address health-related social needs, Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) Produce Prescription grantees find themselves at the intersection of health care and social services delivery. As a result, many projects grapple with a myriad of questions about patient privacy laws and their impact on information sharing, operations, research and evaluation, […]
Food & Society at the Aspen Institute and Harvard Law School experts outline research opportunities for the Food is Medicine field to prevent food and nutrition insecurity in the future; January 27 webinar to highlight findings and recommendations. Today, Food & Society at the Aspen Institute and the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law […]
Understanding that access to affordable, healthy food is fundamental to the population’s health and wellbeing; and without such access, individuals face greater risk of disease and increased health care costs, experts from three leading organizations came together to offer key strategies to address the challenges to food access and good nutrition in a special report […]
By Daniel Necz, Harvard Law School LL.M Candidate, and Rachel Landauer, Clinical Instructor New research from North Carolina adds to the evidence that participation in nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has a positive impact on health outcomes. However, the researchers also found that many study participants who were eligible […]
By Ali Gentry, Harvard Law School ‘23 In early September, the Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation joined the National WIC Association and the Vouchers 4 Veggies – EatSF program in organizing more than 100 organizations to call on Congress to ensure a robust benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables in the WIC program. […]
Produce prescriptions are a nutrition intervention that target food insecurity and improve health outcomes. These innovative nutrition services lower financial barriers to food access and simultaneously encourage consumption of fresh produce. In addition to addressing household food insecurity, produce prescriptions have led to clinically significant reductions in indicators such as hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure. Their broader effects are […]
As communities across the country continue to grapple with the consequences of COVID-19, the health care system is called upon to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Some health system entities have concerns about supporting their patients in new ways while continuing to ensure compliance with health care fraud and abuse laws. This blog post […]
Initial research outlines opportunities to increase access to healthy foods during hunger & Covid-19 crises. Today the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI) announced the launch of Mainstreaming Produce Prescription (Rx) Programs, a new initiative to increase access to nutritious food and improve health outcomes for people with diet-related diseases. […]
The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI), together with Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food banks, has released Food Banks as Partners in Health Promotion: Navigating HIPAA, a resource for food banks working together with health care entities while navigating federal patient privacy law.
By Margaret Dushko, Harvard Law School ‘21 Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services Waivers keep vulnerable patients from needing institutional care by providing services at home and in the community like coverage for home health aides and home-delivered meals. Emergency Appendix K modifications present a critical opportunity for states utilizing the Medicaid 1915(c) Home […]
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shines a harsh and unforgiving spotlight on the impacts of the social determinants of health. New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that people who are homeless or in congregate living facilities face additional challenges that can exacerbate the spread and severity of COVID-19. CDC […]
Nutrition is an important social determinant of health. Food insecurity and malnutrition are associated with poor health outcomes – including higher rates of certain diseases like diabetes – and higher health care costs. Food insecurity and inadequate diet quality disproportionately impact groups with low socioeconomic status. Developing effective Food is Medicine interventions for these populations […]
A new 2019 study found that nearly 4 in 10 Medicare enrollees (38.3%) younger than 65 experience food insecurity, and nearly 1 in 10 enrollees (9.1%) 65 years or older experience food insecurity. CMS has emphasized food insecurity and other social determinants of health in its Accountable Health Communities model, in which the social needs of beneficiaries are screened and addressed to thereby improve health care costs and outcomes. These findings emphasize the need to address food insecurity among Medicare enrollees.
Over the years, the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School’s work with community based organizations, health care providers, payers, and government officials has highlighted that health relies on more than a visit to the doctor’s office. Emerging models of community-clinical partnerships address the ways that our homes, food, environment, and […]