The Biden administration has begun approving state requests for Medicaid to cover groceries and nutritional counseling, according to a Feb. 12 report from The Wall Street Journal.
This move is in response to growing research showing a link between addressing food insecurity and improving health, and explores the question of whether food can be used as medicine, the report said.
The change is already in action in a handful of states, with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approving a test program in November allowing Arkansas to spend $85 million on health-related social needs, including nutritional counseling.
Similar programs were approved by the agency in Massachusetts and Oregon earlier in 2022.