Implementing CalAIM Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Services

Technical Assistance Resources

Background  

California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is a long-term commitment to transform and strengthen Medi-Cal by offering Californians a more equitable, coordinated, and person-centered approach to maximizing their health and life trajectory. A key component of CalAIM is the introduction of Community Supports to address social determinants of health and improve health equity statewide. Community Supports present an exciting opportunity for “non-traditional” healthcare providers, such as community-based organizations, to partner with health plans and healthcare providers to support the health and wellbeing of patients. Medically supportive food and nutrition services (MSF&N) are one of 14 approved Community Supports under CalAIM. MSF&N interventions are defined as food and nutrition services provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries to support their health in coordination with a medical provider. Examples include medically tailored meals, fruit and vegetable vouchers and food pharmacies (below is a full list of the eligible CalAIM MSF&N services). 

As part of our efforts to support broad adoption and impactful implementation of MSF&N statewide, the Food as Medicine Collaborative is working with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and SPUR to build capacity among community-based organizations to contract or subcontract with Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs). We have brought on Collaborative Consulting to provide training and technical assistance, which will include tools and resources for all organizations interested in offering MSF&N under CalAIM, as well as specialized technical assistance to a small cohort of food and nutrition organizations serving San Francisco. Our goal is to support a full range of MSF&N services, city wide coverage, and potential for early success in contracting. Keep reading to learn about this special technical assistance opportunity for food and nutrition providers serving San Francisco.

Free Training and Technical Assistance with Collaborative Consulting

Readiness Assessment Survey

The first phase of our work involves having organizations complete a readiness assessment survey in order to gauge interest in and readiness to potentially contract with health plans. 

To take the assessment survey, go here. Please complete and submit your assessment by 5pm PT Monday, August 8th.

We introduced the assessment survey in a webinar on Friday, July 22nd, 2022. A recording of the webinar is below. 

For questions regarding the readiness assessment and capacity building opportunity with Collaborative Consulting, please contact Alison Burger at Alison@CollaborativeConsulting.net.

Organizations that provide or are interested in providing ANY of the eligible CalAIM medically supportive food and nutrition Community Supports (see list below) are encouraged to review the webinar and complete the assessment survey. The survey results will guide the development of tools and resources for all organizations interested in partnering with healthcare, as well as determine the cohort of organizations invited to participate in the technical assistance portion of this initiative. The assessment results can also help your organization understand your readiness for participating in potential health plan partnership opportunities and areas of your organization that might need to be developed. Join us! 

As part of the Food as Medicine Collaborative’s efforts to support broad adoption and impactful implementation of MSF&N statewide, we are working with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and SPUR to build capacity among community-based organizations to contract or subcontract with Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs). We have brought on Collaborative Consulting to provide training and technical assistance, which will include tools and resources for all organizations interested in offering MSF&N under CalAIM, as well as specialized technical assistance to a small cohort of food and nutrition organizations serving San Francisco. Our goal is to support a full range of MSF&N services, city wide coverage, and potential for early success in contracting. The first phase of our work involves having organizations complete a readiness assessment survey in order to gauge interest in and readiness to potentially contract with health plans. On July 22, 2022 we held a webinar to introduce the assessment survey.

Eligible CalAIM Medically Supportive Food and Nutrition Community Supports:

  • Medically tailored meals: Meals approved by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist that reflect appropriate dietary therapy based on evidence-based practice guidelines.

  • Medically supportive meals: Meals with nutrient-rich whole foods used as a medical treatment to address a specific health condition when utilizing evidence-based practices that demonstrate the prevention, reversal, or management of a specific chronic disease.

  • Medically tailored groceries: Groceries approved by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist that reflect appropriate dietary therapy based on evidence-based practice guidelines.

  • Medically supportive groceries: Groceries with nutrient rich whole foods used as a medical treatment to address a specific health condition when utilizing evidence-based practices that demonstrate the prevention, reversal, or management of a specific chronic disease.

  • Produce prescriptions: Patient/member referral by a healthcare provider or health plan to access no or low-cost produce with no added fats, sugars, or salt to address diet-related health risk or condition at a retail outlet.

  • Food pharmacies: Medical treatment or preventative service co-located within health care settings where patients access food and often additional behavioral, cooking, and/or nutrition education.

  • Behavioral, cooking, and/or other nutrition education services such as classes, workshops, and counseling.