# 119-s-2834: Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act

119-s-2834, Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2834
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2834
- Congress: 119
- Title: Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-17
- Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**This bill would create a six-year demonstration under Medicare Part A to provide medically tailored home-delivered meals and medical nutrition therapy, with the goal of improving health and reducing hospital readmissions.** - Families and patients: High-risk Medicare beneficiaries living at home with diet-impacted diseases could receive at least 2 medically tailored home-delivered meals per day (or a portioned equivalent) meeting about two-thirds of daily nutrition and medical nutrition therapy for at least 12 weeks, with re-screening every 12 weeks. - Hospitals and clinical staff: CMS would select at least 40 eligible hospitals to run the program by mid-2027; participating hospitals must attest they can meet staffing, quality (at least a 3-star hospital rating for acute care hospitals), and program integrity requirements. - Medicare program and oversight: Payments come from the Medicare Part A trust fund and services have no beneficiary cost-sharing; CMS must monitor claims, compare outcomes to nonparticipants, and deliver an intermediate report within 3 years and a final report within 8 years. *Projected to be budget neutral for Medicare Part A because program payments are offset by reductions in acute-care hospital payments under section 1886(d).*

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA), 2025-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-09-17T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Medically tailored meals and therapy: benefit, medium. If enacted, selected hospitals would provide each qualified person at least two medically tailored home-delivered meals per day during each 12-week period. Meals must meet at least two-thirds of daily nutrition and fit medical and cultural needs. Hospitals must provide medical nutrition therapy for…
- Medicare pilot for tailored meals: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would start a 6-year Medicare pilot for medically tailored home-delivered meals. The pilot must begin no later than 30 months after enactment. Selected hospitals would deliver meals and related services to qualifying Part A beneficiaries to test health outcomes and readmission…
- Hospital screening and reporting rules: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary must choose at least 40 eligible hospitals by June 30, 2027. Hospitals must apply, meet quality tests, and attest they can run the pilot. Selected hospitals must staff clinicians or arrange staff to screen patients at discharge and rescreen every 12 weeks. Hospitals must s…
- Who can get pilot meals: benefit, low. If enacted, the pilot would serve people entitled to Medicare Part A who report they do not get similar state or federal meal benefits. Eligible people must have a diet-impacted disease (examples listed), live at home at discharge, not be in extended care or hospice, and be limited in at least two…
- Medicare payments and cost rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Secretary would set how hospitals are paid for pilot services and must consider other payers' payments. Program-covered meals and services would be provided without Medicare Part A deductibles, copays, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing. Payments and program costs would come from th…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025
- 119-s-1816: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-s-1454: FIGHT Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-2834 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2834)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-410)
- [119-s-1816: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1816)
- [119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1261)
- [119-s-1454: FIGHT Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1454)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2834 (as of 2026-04-21).