Resolve, To Reduce MaineCare Spending through Targeted Nutrition Interventions
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1373
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MEYER

Legislative Document
No. 1373
H.P. 994
House of Representatives, March 21, 2019
Resolve, To Reduce MaineCare Spending through Targeted 
Nutrition Interventions
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MEYER of Eliot.
Sec. 1.  Department of Health and Human Services to seek demonstration 
waiver.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health and Human Services shall file an 
application with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services to request a demonstration waiver under the federal 
Social Security Act, Section 1115 to allow medically tailored food and nutrition 
interventions to be a reimbursable covered service.  Medically tailored food and nutrition 
interventions may be used when a health care provider determines that certain elements 
of nutrition or foods based upon a nutrition plan developed by a licensed dietitian are 
necessary for a patient's health.  The determination by the health care provider may be for 
reasons of preventive health care or to support treatment for a patient, may be for a 
patient who is homebound and unable to prepare nutritious foods and is at a high risk for 
admission or readmission to a health care facility or may be to assist in a patient's health 
outcome.
Sec. 2.  Report.  Resolved:  That the Department of Health and Human Services 
shall report annually for 5 years by January 1st to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters on the use of 
services provided under a demonstration waiver under section 1, including how many 
individuals have qualified for a nutrition intervention under section 1 and the duration of 
and conditions treated under the nutrition intervention.  The report must also include data 
on hospital readmission rates for 2 categories of individuals with similar health 
conditions: individuals who have received nutrition interventions and individuals who 
have not received nutrition interventions.
Sec. 3.  Department of Health and Human Services to file application for 
home-delivered meal coverage. Resolved:  That the Department of Health and 
Human Services shall file the application by October 1, 2019 with the United States 
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 
to request that home-delivered meals be reimbursable under MaineCare as directed by 
Resolve 2015, chapter 54.
SUMMARY
This resolve directs the Department of Health and Human Services to file an 
application with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services for a demonstration waiver to allow for reimbursement 
of medically tailored food and nutrition interventions when a health care provider 
determines that certain elements of nutrition or foods based upon a nutrition plan 
developed by a licensed dietitian are necessary for a patient's health.  This resolve also 
directs the Department of Health and Human Services to file the application by October 
1, 2019 with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services to request that home-delivered meals be reimbursable 
under MaineCare as directed by Resolve 2015, chapter 54.