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MEALS ON WHEELS AND HEALTHCARE

MEALS ON WHEELS AND HEALTHCARE

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    BILLIONS OF VISITS. MILLIONS IN SAVINGS.

    IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR VULNERABLE SENIORS AND
    THE HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE THEM

    A nutritious meal is only the start of the value Meals on Wheels can deliver to keep your most vulnerable members healthy.

    For nearly 50 years, Meals on Wheels has touched the lives of millions of seniors, providing them with the nutrition they need and human contact they desire. But the benefits of this care and compassion go far beyond, driving notable improvements in their health and your bottom line.

    Staff and volunteers from the nationwide Meals on Wheels network are the “eyes and ears” in the homes of your most at-risk members. Put us to work to observe firsthand any changes in their physical or mental conditions. Learn more about our services here.

    WE IDENTIFY RISKS BEFORE THEY BECOME PROBLEMS;
    ADDRESS PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME HEALTH ISSUES;
    AND SOLVE HEALTH ISSUES BEFORE THEY BECOME CATASTROPHIC AND COSTLY.

    SHARE IN THE TRUST WE'VE EARNED

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    When Meals on Wheels knocks on the door, vulnerable seniors open it with a smile. Being invited into the homes of millions of the nation’s most high-risk seniors and disabled individuals is an honor and privilege. It’s also the first and one of the most effective lines of defense in avoiding additional healthcare costs.

    Every visit comes with a nutritious meal created to address the specific health conditions of the senior, a safety check around the house and an assessment of any changes that might impact future medical needs. This can mean the difference between independent living at home and an unwelcome transfer to a costly long-term care facility.

    CARING IS COST-EFFECTIVE

    While Meals on Wheels feeds both the body and soul, it also creates a profound effect on lowering healthcare costs. One in four of today’s seniors lives alone, increasing their chances of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Meals on Wheels can be a valuable asset for healthcare providers and insurers by helping to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, reducing hospital readmissions and post-discharge needs through daily nutrition, socialization and safety checks.

    In fact, 81% of the people we serve say Meals on Wheels improves their health. Now multiply that over the hundreds of thousands of home visits we make every week, and the number of healthier and happier seniors adds up in your favor.

    Healthcare providers are continually looking to deliver efficient and cost-saving services, and Meals on Wheels can bring our special brand of service to your senior members.

    IT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.

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    OUR SERVICES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

    We’re able to tap into our nationwide network of local, community-based programs to serve virtually any geography in the country. Choose between the services below, or let us customize a plan to meet your exact needs.


    • Long-term preventative services, including nutrition, socialization, safety checks and connections to community services. 

    • Short-term post-discharge services, including nutrition, socialization and safety checks. Customizable depending on the needs of the provider.

    HEALTHCARE PARTNER NEWS

    CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES PROPOSES INCLUSION OF HOME-DELIVERED MEALS IN 2020 MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS

    Feb 04, 2019
    Arlington, VA, February 4, 2019 – Following the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) release of its Contract Year 2020 Annual Medicare Advantage (MA) Advance Notice and Draft Call Letter on January 30, Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander today issued the following statement:

    Meals on Wheels America supports CMS’ proposal in its MA Advance Notice and Draft Call Letter to establish a new category of supplemental benefits – Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) – as directed by the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018. In this proposal, MA plans would be allowed to offer non-primarily health related supplemental benefits to chronically ill enrollees, including those that help to address social determinants of health, such as home-delivered meals. 

    We support these expanded supplemental benefits that give MA plans more flexibility to tailor their offerings to the individuals they serve. Nearly nine million seniors face the threat of hunger, and 83% of food insecure seniors and 83% of physically-impaired seniors likely need – but are not receiving – home-delivered meal services. As MA plan membership continues to rise and the senior population is set to nearly double by 2060, now is a valuable opportunity to leverage MA plans as a channel to serve more vulnerable seniors in need.

    Community-based Meals on Wheels programs deliver a nutritious meal to address the specific health conditions of the senior, an in-home safety check to detect hazards inside or outside of the home, a friendly visit to combat social isolation and an assessment of any changes that might impact future medical needs, serving as the first line of sight for potential dangers or changes in condition. Supplementing traditional healthcare services with community-based services is a powerful – and cost-effective – way to keep at-risk seniors healthy and reduce avoidable emergency care and healthcare utilization. In fact, Meals on Wheels can serve a senior for an entire year for the same cost as just one day in a hospital or ten days in a nursing home.

    If approved by CMS, expanding MA supplemental benefits could help address the unique needs of millions of homebound seniors and disabled Americans who struggle with hunger and isolation and would serve as a significant step forward. We thank CMS for recognizing the valuable role home-delivered meals play in addressing social determinants of health, and in providing critical person-centered care. As a national organization representing the network of senior nutrition providers across the country, we are eager to work together in the weeks and months ahead to build on these proposals for the health of our seniors, our communities and our nation as a whole.

    CMS is accepting public comments on its proposals through Friday, March 1, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. EST here.

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    About Meals on Wheels America
    Meals on Wheels America is the oldest and largest national organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network exists in virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America's seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

    PRESS CONTACT:

    Jenny Young
    Meals on Wheels America
    571-339-1603
    jenny@mealsonwheelsamerica.org

    Meals on Wheels America

    AMERICA'S SENIORS NEED YOU

    Your gift will help us support the local programs that keep seniors safe and living independently nationwide.

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    CONNECT WITH US


    To learn more about how Meals on Wheels Health and our nationwide network can provide cost-effective healthcare solutions, contact Ipyana Spencer, Chief Health Officer, Meals on Wheels Health.

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