,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fggd ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,may #h1 #bjbj,mr4 ,mc,govern 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mrs4 ,walorski1 and ,mr4 ,marshall7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,rules1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act to require the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services to conduct a demonstration program to assess the effects of a hospital providing to qualified individuals medically tailored home-delivered meals1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,medically ,tailored ,home-,delivered ,meals ,demonstration ,pilot ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,medically ,tailored ,home-,delivered ,meals ,demonstration ,pilot ,program 7a7 ,in general ,part ,a of title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following new section3 #ahbb4 ,medically ,tailored ,home-,delivered ,meals ,demonstration ,pilot ,program 7a7 ,establishment 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall conduct under this section the ,medically ,tailored ,home-,delivered ,meals ,demonstration ,pilot ,program 7in this section referred to as the ,program7 for a #c-year period to assess the effects of a covered hospital providing to qualified individuals medically tailored home-delivered meals4 ,under the ,program1 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 select eligible hospitals to participate in the ,program in accordance with paragraph 7#b72 7,b7 establish procedures for covered hospitals to carry out the requirements of the ,program described under paragraph 7#c72 7,c7 make payments to covered hospitals for items and services provided to qualified individuals in accordance with subsection 7b72 and 7,d7 submit a report on the ,program in accordance with subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,selection 7,a7 ,in general ,for purposes of this subsection1 a covered hospital is a hospital-- 7i7 that submits to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require2 7ii7 is selected by the ,secretary to carry out the ,program for not more than a #c-year period2 and 7iii7 is a subsection 7d7 hospital under section #ahhf4 7,b7 ,requirement ,the ,secretary shall select at least #bj covered hospitals located in at least #aj different ,states to carry out the ,program4 7#c7 ,program requirements 7,a7 ,staff ,a covered hospital shall maintain on staff a physician1 registered dietitian or nutrition professional1 or clinical social worker to-- 7i7 screen an individual that is an inpatient of such hospital with validated screening tools to determine whether such individual is a qualified individual2 7ii7 re-screen each individual receiving medically tailored home-delivered meals with validated screening tools every #ab weeks to determine whether such individual is qualified to continue receiving medically tailored home-delivered meals2 7iii7 in the case such an individual is determined to be a qualified individual under clause 7i7 or 7ii71 ensure such individual receives medically tailored home-delivered meals pursuant to a contract described in subparagraph 7,b72 7iv7 provide to such individual determined to be a qualified individual under clause 7i7 or 7ii7 medical nutrition therapy furnished by a registered dietitian or nutritional professional or ensure that the organization described in subparagraph 7,b7 that delivers meals to such individual provides to such individual such therapy 7as appropriate72 and 7v7 monitor the clinical health outcomes 7based on measures developed by the ,secretary consistent with ,state law7 of each individual that receive medically tailored home-delivered meals4 7,b7 ,contract to deliver meals 7i7 ,in general ,a covered hospital shall enter into a contract 7in accordance with criteria established by the ,secretary7 with at least #a organization that has at least #a year of experience preparing and delivering medically tailored meals similar to meals described in subsection 7e77#b7 and providing individual nutritional counseling or medical nutrition therapy in connection with delivering meals4 7ii7 ,number of meals ,the contract described in clause 7i7 shall provide for-- 7,i7 at least #b medically tailored home-delivered meals 7or a portioned equivalent7 each day that meet at least two-thirds of the daily nutritional needs of the qualified individual2 and 7,,ii7 at least #ab weeks of medically tailored home-delivered meals4 7iii7 ,option to provide meals for caregivers or dependents under the age of #ah ,in the case an individual is determined to be a qualified individual under clause 7i7 or 7ii7 of subparagraph 7,a71 the covered hospital may contract with the organization described in clause 7i7 to provide to the primary caregiver of the individual or a dependent under the age of #ah that resides in the household of such individual a meal the organization determines appropriate4 7,c7 ,report by hospital ,not later than #a year after the date the covered hospital begins to participate in the ,program1 and annually thereafter1 a hospital selected under paragraph 7#b7 shall submit to the ,secretary a report on-- 7i7 the impact of medically tailored home-delivered meals on clinical health outcomes described in subparagraph 7,a77v72 7ii7 the impact of medically tailored home-delivered meals on hospital costs 7including the costs associated with the readmission 7as defined in #ahhf7q77#e77;,e77 of individuals72 and 7iii7 any other information necessary to evaluate the ,program4 7b7 ,payment ,under the ,program1 payment for an item or service provided under this section shall be made from the ,federal ,hospital ,insurance ,trust ,fund for the type1 amount1 frequency1 and duration of such an item or service as the ,secretary determines appropriate as if the item or service was payable under section #ahhf4 ,payment for a contract described in subsection 7a77#c77;,b7 shall be made from the ,federal ,hospital ,insurance ,trust ,fund for the amount the ,secretary determines appropriate4 7c7 ,report by ,secretary ,not later than #c years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and #f years after such date1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate a report on the ,program4 ,such report shall include a summary of1 evaluation of1 and recommendations on whether to cover medically tailored home-delivered meals as a benefit under this part4 7d7 ,hearings 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,committee on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of ,representatives shall1 not later than #ij days after the date the ,secretary submits a report under subsection 7c71 hold a hearing on the recommendations submitted by the ,secretary under subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,exercise of rulemaking authority ,paragraph 7#a7 is enacted-- 7,a7 as an exercise of rulemaking power of the ,house of ,representatives1 and1 as such1 shall be considered as part of the rules of the ,house1 and such rules shall supersede any other rule of the ,house only to the extent that rule is inconsistent therewith2 and 7,b7 with full recognition of the constitutional right of either ,house to change such rules 7so far as relating to the procedure in such ,house7 at any time1 in the same manner1 and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of the ,house4 7e7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,medical nutrition therapy ,the term medical nutrition therapy means1 for the purpose of disease management1 nutritional1 diagnostics1 and counseling1 services that are furnished by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional4 7#b7 ,medically tailored home-delivered meal ,the term medically tailored home-delivered meal means a meal that is designed by a registered dietitian or nutritional professional-- 7,a7 for the treatment plan of a qualified individual2 and 7,b7 to improve health outcomes1 lower the cost of care1 and increase the patient satisfaction of such qualified individual4 7#c7 ,qualified individual ,the term qualified individual means an individual who-- 7,a7 is entitled to benefits under this part2 7,b7 has a diet-impacted disease 7such as kidney disease1 congestive heart failure1 diabetes1 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease1 or any other disease the ,secretary determines appropriate7 that is likely to cause the individual to require care at a hospital2 and 7,c7 has at least one activity of daily living limitation4 7#d7 ,registered dietitian or nutrition professional ,the term dietitian or nutrition professional has the meaning given such term in section #ahfa7vv77#b74 7#e7 ,validated screening tool ,the term validated screening tool means a questionnaire that has been psychometrically tested for reliability and validity in assessing the presence of a condition in the individual who is screened by such questionnaire4 4