We are closely watching developments in the following legislation:

The Medical Nutrition Therapy Act (H.R. 3108) was first introduced by Congressional Black Caucus health leader Robin Kelly and is now part of HR 7585, the Health Equity and Accountability Act, a large “messaging” bill introduced by the Tri-Caucus (Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus). It amends the Social Security Act to:

1. Provide Medicare Part B coverage of outpatient MNT for prediabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, malnutrition, eating disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases including celiac disease, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease and any other disease or condition causing unintentional weight loss
2. Authorize the Secretary of Health to include other diseases based on medical necessity
3. Allow nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, clinical nurse specialists and psychologists to refer their patients for MNT

The Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Pilot Act (H.R.5370) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a demonstration program to allow hospitals to provide medically tailored, home-delivered meals to Medicare beneficiaries who have a diet-impacted disease (e.g., kidney disease) and have daily living limitations. It was introduced by Rep. Jim McGovern.

The Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act (H.R.2094), introduced by Ron Kind, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue issuing at least every 10 years physical-activity guidelines based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge.

The Education And Training (EAT) for Health Act of 2022 (H.R.8964) requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue to Federal agencies guidelines for developing procedures and requirements relating to certain primary care Federal health professionals completing continuing medical education on nutrition.

White House Conference

The White House has announced its Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health—the first such conference since 1969—is to convene all the arms of government, state and local leaders, tribal leaders, nonprofit and for-profit businesses, advocates, and those with lived experiences to design a roadmap to end hunger in America by 2030. The Conference, to be held on September 28, will be focused on addressing five main issues: ending hunger, improving nutrition, improving physical activity, reducing diet-related diseases, and closing disparity gaps.

Congressional Resolution

The McGovern/Burgess bipartisan resolution on nutrition education in medical schools, HRes 784, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. ACLM is urging further action to make this Sense of Congress resolution a reality.