Congresswoman Malliotakis Joins GLWD at Liberty BKLYN to Push Medically Tailored Meals Bill

Congresswoman Malliotakis with GLWD Dir. of External Affairs Bridgette Ingraham-Roberts, Board co-chair Claudia Wagner, Food is Medicine Coalition Executive Director Alissa Wassung, and GLWD President & CEO Terrence Meck & Chief Operating Officer Eric Rochman

On September 16, Congresswoman Malliotakis joined her colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee in voting unanimously to advance H.R. 5439, the bipartisan Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act.

If enacted, this legislation would establish a six-year Medicare pilot to evaluate how medically tailored meals and medical nutrition therapy affect health outcomes, hospital readmissions, healthcare utilization, costs, and patient and caregiver experiences.

We are grateful to see growing bipartisan support for policies that recognize the power of the Bill. Congresswoman Malliotakis said, “By expanding access to medically tailored meals, we can improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs—it’s a win-win. We hope to see this legislation move forward to a vote of the full House and ultimately become law.”

Congresswoman Malliotakis with GLWD President & CEO and Food is Medicine Coalition Executive Director Alissa Wassung

In response to the Congresswoman’s visit, GLWD President & CEO Terrence Meck said, “Today, at Liberty BKLYN, our new meal distribution center, [Congresswoman Malliotakis] saw firsthand the care and coordination behind every one of those [medically tailored meal] deliveries. We thank the Congresswoman for championing the bipartisan Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act and helping it advance through the Ways and Means Committee.”

We look forward to working with the Congresswoman to bring this legislation to the House floor and allow Medicare to test how medically tailored meals can improve health, reduce healthcare costs, and support people living with chronic illness at home.