Food as Medicine Summit 2024: 4 Challenges FaM Innovators Face

At the most recent Food as Medicine (FaM) Summit, leading experts, policymakers, and healthcare innovators in FaM gathered to discuss one important goal: revolutionizing how we improve population health through food and nutritional guidance.

During the conference, attendees explored strategies for implementing FaM and incorporating it  into value-based healthcare models. Success stories from various pilot programs demonstrated positive returns on investment, echoing the benefits seen in programs like WIC. 

But the discussions also revealed the need for cohesive policy support to address the inconsistencies in healthcare coverage.

One of Nixon Law Group’s partners, Michael Pappas, had the opportunity to speak at the conference and also connect with other innovators in the FaM space. 

Here’s what we believe every healthcare and FaM innovator should know. 

Food as Medicine: Why Should We Care?

Food as Medicine isn’t just an industry buzzword; it's a pivotal strategy that addresses some of the most pressing issues in our healthcare system. FaM can play a key role in addressing the prevalence of chronic, diet-related conditions, which are a significant expense for U.S. healthcare and cause more than 1.7 million deaths every year. 

Nearly $400 billion is spent each year on the top three diet-related chronic conditions: diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. These conditions are often preventable and also manageable through improved dietary habits. 

Moreover, studies from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program demonstrate that for every $1 spent on food, there is a saving of approximately $2.50 in healthcare costs.

This data clearly shows the immense potential of FaM to transform our healthcare system. When we focus on nutrition as a foundational element of health, we can address the root causes of most chronic diseases, save billions in healthcare costs, and most importantly, save lives. 

4 Food as Medicine Challenges (and How to Overcome Them) 

1. Perception 

As the many benefits of FaM come to light, support and buy-in from government and insurance players are increasing. But the broader perception of FaM isn’t completely free from scrutiny by medical and public communities yet. 

By name alone, “Food as Medicine” can be misunderstood as a treatment replacement for other medications or prescriptions. Others have taken to calling it “Food as Health,” “Nutritional Therapy,” etc. to avoid confusion. No matter what we call it, it’s important to understand that FaM is not a replacement for other prescribed treatment methods. 

FaM falls under two main categories: preventative care and treatment. It can be used to prevent diet-related chronic conditions and improve the health of those with one or more chronic conditions—not to replace a patient’s prescribed treatment method. 

2. Implementation

A large-scale rollout of FaM programs may seem like the easy path to immediate results—or even cost-saving ones—but really, these programs can and should be introduced in phases. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. 

The priority for FaM programs right now is increased support from key payors(namely, commercial plans, Medicare, and Medicaid). These payors are far more likely to invest in programs that have already demonstrated results in real-world settings, a reality that’s much more feasible in a controlled launch. 

Food as Medicine can also be part of value-based payment models. As an example, outcome-based payments can reward providers for improvements in chronic disease management and reductions in hospital readmissions, both of which can be significantly impacted by dietary changes.

There are other payment pathways that can integrate FaM programs into value-based care: 

• Bundled payment—one comprehensive payment that covers services related to a specific condition, including nutrition counseling and support. 

• Capitation models—fixed payments per patient that encourage providers to invest in preventive care, like dietary interventions, to reduce long-term costs. 

3. Fragmentation

The success of FaM programs largely depends on support from policy, laws, and regulations that can address the current fragmentation. Here is what needs to happen:

• Increased Coverage Across Insurance Providers—Medicare only provides some coverage for medical nutritional therapy. Medicaid coverage varies by state with some states offering substantial coverage and others offering minimal support. Commercial insurance varies widely by provider.

• Consistent Implementation—because the coverage for FaM programs varies from payor to payor and state to state, the successful implementation of the programs requires an understanding of the laws and regulations of each state as well as the policies and requirements for each plan. 

• Standardization—no clear model currently exists for FaM programs, which can lead to inconsistent data and results. We need a greater focus on standardized protocols for the design and delivery of the programs.   

• Equity and Access—to provide comprehensive and accessible nutrition support, low-income programs like WIC and SNAP need substantial funding. We also need to ensure providers are receiving training in cultural competency to tailor treatment to individual dietary practices. 

4. Collaboration

Successful FaM programs—and public health in general—require a concentrated effort from all stakeholders involved in their development. We need a greater focus on: 

• Nutritional Training in Medical Schools—we need to start educating medical professionals on the benefits of FaM from ground zero. This includes understanding the role of nutrition in preventing and managing diseases, recognizing nutritional deficiencies, and providing dietary counseling. 

• Normalizing Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) from Registered Dietitians—Registered Dietitians should be an integral part of healthcare teams. FaM programs need expert dietary guidance tailored to their patients’ medical conditions and lifestyle needs.

• Understanding the Psychology Behind FaM—understanding the psychological factors that influence eating behavior is critical to addressing underlying issues. This may include incorporating behavioral specialists into healthcare teams and approving follow-up visits with RDs to reinforce positive habits. 

• Food Manufacturers Designing and Promoting Healthier Food—food manufacturers play a key role in improving and maintaining public health. Consumers must have nutrient-dense, healthy options readily available to them. Creating cost-effective options will augment FaM efforts.

The Future of Food as Medicine

In a nutshell, the success of FaM programs as we know them is dependent on integrating nutrition with medical services, food care, change behavior, holistic approaches, change management, and food prescriptions. Successful implementation of FaM could have a significant impact on U.S. healthcare costs and outcomes, but this will require a collaborative, wide-scale effort. 

This is why Nixon Law Group is dedicated to working with registered dietitians and nutrition professionals, food service companies, health innovation companies, health plans, and policymakers to provide full-service legal support for these change agents at the forefront of the industry. 
If you’re a nutrition provider, food service company, or other FaM innovator or stakeholder, find out what we can do for you today.