Hospitals Need to Up Their Game on the Food They Serve, Federal Officials Say

Hospitals Need to Up Their Game on the Food They Serve, Federal Officials Say

(MedPage Today) -- Hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid are obligated to meet their patients' nutritional needs and limit their serving of ultraprocessed foods and sugary beverages to chronically ill patients, CMS said Monday in a special...

HHS, CMS Urge Hospitals to Align Patient Meals with New Dietary Guidelines or Risk Medicare, Medicaid Funding

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced Monday that hospitals must align food service with updated federal dietary guidelines emphasizing whole, nutrient-dense foods to maintain eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid payments. The directive came via a Quality […]

Federal Officials Push Hospitals to Improve Patient Nutrition Standards

MIAMI, FLORIDA- A new federal initiative is putting hospital food and patient nutrition at the center of health care policy, with federal officials calling for hospitals across the country to reduce ultra-processed foods and align meals with national dietary guidelines. During a visit to Miami as part of the nationwide “Take Back Your Health” tour, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr., announced new steps aimed at strengt…

RFK Jr. Says Hospitals Must Serve Healthier Food

U.S. health officials on March 30 informed hospitals they must provide patients with more nutritious food. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated in a memorandum to hospitals across the country that they must comply with certain conditions to receive federal funding, including making sure that menus and diets meet the nutritional needs of patients. Officials noted the January release of new dietary guidelines, which emphasiz…

CMS memo reiterates nutrition service obligations for hospitals in light of updated dietary guidelines

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services March 20 released a memorandum reinforcing hospital nutrition service obligations for hospitals. The memo reminds hospitals of the Medicare conditions of participation that require hospitals to ensure menus and diets meet individual patient nutritional needs in accordance with recognized dietary practices. It also asks hospitals to review and revise their food and nutrition service policies, standard …