For decades, public health researchers have argued that food is medicine. A landmark study published June 2, 2026, in Nature Medicine now provides the most rigorous evidence yet — and the numbers are striking enough to reshape health policy at the state and national level.
Massachusetts Medicaid members who received home-delivered, dietitian-designed meals tailored to their medical conditions had 31% fewer hospitalizations and 20% fewer emergency department visits compared to similar eligible members who did not receive meals. Per-person healthcare costs dropped by $3,433 during the approximately six-month program period — offsetting 98% of the cost of the meals themselves.
