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Launched in 2018, the Medically Tailored Meals pilot program was designed to help Medi-Cal patients with congestive heart failure by reducing hospital readmissions and emergency department visits by providing tailored meals meeting specific dietary needs.

The program’s success in improving health outcomes and reducing costly emergency room visits encouraged the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to expand the Medically Tailored Meals program to all 58 counties through Medi-Cal transformation and a new set of services called Community Supports.

Medically Tailored Meals are one of 14 new services offered through Medi-Cal that provide members with access to new and improved services to get well-rounded care that goes beyond the doctor’s office or hospital.

Medically Tailored Meals: Overview

Malnutrition and poor nutrition can lead to severe health outcomes, especially among Medi-Cal patients with chronic health conditions. Medically Tailored Meals aim to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions, and enhance patient satisfaction by providing essential nutrition.

Key Features:

1. Post-Discharge Delivery: Meals are delivered to patients’ homes immediately following discharge from a hospital or nursing home.
2. Customized Nutrition: Meals are tailored to meet the dietary needs of those with chronic diseases, designed by registered dietitians (RD) or certified nutrition professionals based on evidence-based guidelines.
3. Comprehensive Services: Includes medically tailored groceries, healthy food vouchers, and food pharmacies.
4. Educational Support: Behavioral, cooking, and nutrition education is included when paired with direct food assistance.

Key Benefits:

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• Address Food Insecurity: Mitigates poor health outcomes linked to food insecurity.

• Support Complex Care Needs: Tailored to individuals with chronic conditions.

• Improve Health Outcomes: Studies show improvements in diabetes control, fall prevention, and medication adherence.

Patient Testimonial:

“My diabetes has gotten better with the meals. I’ve kept my weight down, and I feel much better now than I have in a long time. I’m one of the people this program is meant for.” — Brett

Eligibility:

• Eligible Populations: Eligible Medi-Cal members include those with chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, congestive heart failure, stroke, chronic lung disorders, HIV, cancer, gestational diabetes, and chronic mental or behavioral health disorders. Also, those being discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facility or at high risk of hospitalization or nursing facility placement are also eligible.

• Service Limitations: Up to two meals per day for up to 12 weeks, extendable if medically necessary. Meals eligible for reimbursement by alternate programs are not covered.

Cost Savings and Improved Health Outcomes:

• Health Outcomes: Research indicates a 22% to 58% decrease in emergency department visits and a 27% to 63% decrease in inpatient admissions among Medically Tailored Meals recipients, translating to significant health care cost savings.

Project Open Hand: A Success Story

Project Open Hand has been a leader in providing Medically Tailored Meals, significantly impacting the lives of Bay Area Medi-Cal patients with chronic illnesses. Since its inception, Project Open Hand has delivered nutritious meals to individuals with diabetes, HIV, and other serious health conditions, demonstrating remarkable health improvements and cost savings.

Key Achievements:

• Improved Health Outcomes: Project Open Hand’s research found a 50% increase in medication adherence among recipients of Medically Tailored Meals.

• Reduced Hospitalizations: Their program showed a 63% reduction in hospitalizations for patients with diabetes and HIV.

• Enhanced Quality of Life: Patients reported better health and increased energy levels.

Project Open Hand ensures that each meal is prepared using fresh, wholesome ingredients tailored to meet the specific dietary needs of its clients. By partnering with Medi-Cal managed care plans, Project Open Hand continues to provide life-saving nutrition to those who need it most.

Join Us in Our Mission

You can experience the profound impact of Medically Tailored Meals by joining the Medi-Cal Community Supports services initiative. Your involvement can make a difference in promoting your health through nutrition.

Learn More

For more information about Medically Tailored Meals and how to get involved, call the state’s Medi-Cal Health Care options at 800-430-4263 or contact your local managed care plan.

In Alameda County, Medi-Cal recipients can contact:

*   Alameda Alliance for Health: 510-747-4567

*   Kaiser Permanente: 855-839-7613

In Contra Costa County, Medi-Cal recipients can contact:
*   Contra Costa Health Plan: 877-661-6230

*   Kaiser Permanente: 855-839-7613

In Marin County, Medi-Cal recipients can contact:
*   Partnership Health Plan of California: 800-863-4155

*   Kaiser Permanente: 855-839-7613

In Solano County, Medi-Cal recipients can contact:
*   Partnership Health Plan of California: 800-863-4155

*   Kaiser Permanente: 855-839-7613
Your health and well-being are your health care provider’s top priority. Medically Tailored Meals are designed to enhance quality of life by advancing health care through the power of nutrition. Experience the benefits today, and take the first step toward a healthier you.

Oakland Post

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Special to The Post

Oakland – Minister King X, a prison ‘artivist,’ and a civil rights group will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 27 at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) headquarters at 1515 S St. in Sacramento, CA.

Sept. 20, 2024, Minister King, a community organizer with California Prison Focus, and the group All of Us Or None (AOUON) filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and top state government officials.

The lawsuit challenges Minister King’s unlawful arrest on Aug. 9, 2021, during “Black August,” for allegedly violating Penal Code section 4571, which criminalizes people with felony convictions standing near prison facilities.

Minister King was arrested and imprisoned by plainclothes CDCR officers after a July 2021 protest calling for the release of political prisoner Ruchell “Cinque” Magee.

The charges were dropped without a hearing, but Minister King and AOUON allege in their complaint that the arrest was retaliation for his activism and a violation of his First Amendment rights.

According to Medium, Minister King X Pyeface of Kage Universal is a rapper, producer, and ‘artivist’ from Oakland who spent six years in federal prison and 18 years in California State Prison, where he was the youngest new African organizer during the 2011 to 2013 California Prisoners Hunger Strike.

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CDCR’s report for Minister King’s arrest describes King, and many other activists, public figures, and organizations, as “Black Identity Extremists” and “Black Supremacist Extremists.”

These racist terms were used to label organizations such as Black Lives Matter as terrorist organizations and their use was abandoned by the FBI in 2019.

The lawsuit seeks to prevent CDCR from using Penal Code 4571 to target formerly incarcerated individuals for exercising their rights.

The press conference on Friday will discuss the constitutional issues associated with PC 4571, which prohibits an individual who has previously been convicted of a felony and incarcerated in a California state prison from being present on the grounds of carceral facilities or anywhere adjacent to those grounds without the consent of the warden or sheriff.

Additionally, 4571 prohibits these individuals from being anywhere other individuals in state custody may be, and anywhere adjacent to those in custody individuals without consent.

King and AOUON have alleged in their complaint that the statute violates the First Amendment rights of formerly incarcerated individuals and is overly broad and vague.

“In the depths of Pelican Bay State Prison, and other correctional facilities across the United States, a forgotten population of elderly incarcerated individuals awaits redemption. They are not the ‘worst of the worst,’ violent predators or Black Identity Extremists,” says Minister King X.  “Rather, they are a unique class of individuals who possess the wisdom, experience, and desire to promote peace and reconciliation. I am advocating for and on behalf of these elders and the rights of all other prisoners.”

Oakland Post

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By Magaly Muñoz

After five years of campaigning and fighting to be heard, Oakland teens have finally crossed the finish line and began casting their ballots for city school board director elections outside of Alameda County Courthouse this week.

In 2019, after a series of school closures throughout the district, many students felt as if their voices were not being heard or considered when the school board made decisions that would have lasting impacts on their education . This prompted the championing of allowing 16 and 17 year old students the right to vote for school board directors.

Natalie Gallegos Chavez, a second-year UC Berkeley student, was part of the early campaigning for youth vote and said she’s proud of the efforts of students to make this moment happen.

“I’m just so happy that our young people never stopped actually fighting for this change because it was so hard to actually get it implemented,” Chavez said.

The measure that allowed youth voting, Measure QQ, was passed in 2020, but got stuck for four years at the county level while the Alameda Registrar of Voters figured out a plan to implement the right voting software that recognized teen voters.

Oakland now becomes the largest city in the nation to allow teen voting. Students in Berkeley will also get the chance to vote in school elections, having passed their own measure eight years ago.

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Students have often shared their frustration during campaigning for this voting ability, stating that adults did not take them seriously and didn’t believe that they were educated enough to understand the political process of voting.

Chavez told the Post that many students that they spoke to were already dealing with adult-level problems, such as translating important documents for parents or helping family members fill out election ballots. This meant that several students were already educated on the importance of voting and would take this new chance seriously.

Students who filled out their ballot early were escorted to the ballot drop off box outside of the courthouse while their fellow students cheered them on.

Alexis Garcia, a Fremont High School student voting for District 7, said he was thrilled to finally reach this moment of casting his vote after spending so much time educating others on the issue. He added that this movement helps prepare students for voting on a larger scale, like state and national elections, once they graduate high school.

“It’s absolutely exciting. I feel like my voice matters,” Garcia said.

Several students have shared that now that they get the opportunity to vote, they hope the board will think twice before taking action on important topics without seeking their input.

Maximus Simmons, one of two student directors on the Oakland Unified board, gave an impassioned speech about the need to have student voices heard, especially when those decisions impact them.

“Now I’ve heard many times that our generation is soft, weak, and pampered, and in reality, we are resilient, open minded, brave, but better than all of those, we aren’t scared to speak our truth,” he said.

Simmons shared that he once thought youth voting was unattainable and something you could only dream of, “because our system is built off the ideas of old white men, refusing to look through our perspectives.”

This step is the biggest students have taken since the initial movement in 2019, but they are assuring folks that they are not done fighting until all their rights and demands are heard and completed.

“How does it feel to be a part of history?” Simmons chanted.

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