Meals Insurance May Already Cover

Many Medicare Advantage plans include home delivered meals after a hospital or rehab stay, and some state Medicaid programs cover ongoing meals for people who qualify. It is not every plan, and it is not automatic, which is why so much of this benefit goes unused.

The best time to ask is before your loved one leaves the hospital. Talk to the discharge planner, the case manager, or the social worker on the unit, and ask them to help you call the plan. If you are already home, call the member services number on the back of the insurance card and ask for the care management team. Plans that cover meals usually cap the benefit, either at a set number of meals or a few weeks after discharge, so the sooner you call, the more of it you get.

When you have someone on the phone, ask four things. How many meals are covered, and for how long? Does it start on its own or does someone need to request it? Are there options for a specific diet, such as low sodium or renal? And what other extras does the plan include, since many cover rides to appointments or a grocery allowance that nobody claims either. Your Family First Care Team can review the plan with you or get on the call.