March 10, 2023

Meals as Medicine

Health Partners Plans (HPP) is dedicated to ensuring the health and wellness of our members. Since 2015, HPP has partnered with MANNA to provide medically tailored meals for Health Partners (Medicaid) members with complex health care needs, as well as members with a high-risk pregnancy. This partnership has proven to be successful in helping members understand their diet, lose weight, improve important disease state measures and positively engage in their own health care.

We encourage you to refer Health Partners members to MANNA using the criteria below so more of our members, your patients, can benefit from the outcome. This is an HPP benefit offered free to eligible members. The duration of the meal program is 12 weeks with the option to renew for another six weeks based on the patient’s goal progress.

Criteria for MANNA referral for HPP members

Diagnosis	Age	Criteria (meets 1 or more criteria per diagnosis)	Goal (as appropriate)
Diabetes	21 and older	Hba1c greater than 8 Poor medication adherence New diet change and no resources High ER or inpatient utilization for same diagnosis* Overweight—BMI 25-30	Improved Hba1c Improved medication adherence Understands diet Weight loss Decreased ER and inpatient utilization
Heart disease / hyperlipidemia	21 and older	Stage II hypertension 140/90+ Stage I with any of the following: overweight—BMI 25 or greater, poor medication adherence, frequent ER/Inpatient utilization* for chest discomfort, high cholesterol and other co-morbidities	Improved lab values Improved BP Understands diet and the impact on disease Decreased ER and inpatient utilization
CKD/ESRD	21 and older	Chronic kidney disease ESRD with various symptoms High ER and inpatient utilization*	Adherence to dialysis schedule Decreased ER and inpatient utilization Understands the impact of diet on diagnosis
High risk pregnancy	all ages	Hyperemesis gravidarum Gestational diabetes Preeclampsia Gestational hypertension	Appropriate weight gain and decreased side effects Continued follow up with OB provider Potentially reduce NICU stays Decreased maternal ER and inpatient utilization

*High ER and/or inpatient utilization is > 5

If you believe that one of your patients with the above conditions would benefit from MANNA medically tailored meals but does not qualify per the criteria listed, please reach out to the Clinical Programs team at 215-845-4797. We will consider these members on a case-by-case basis.

Referral Guidelines

To refer a Health Partners (Medicaid) member into this program, please access our MANNA referral form at HPPlans.com/MANNA. Complete the form and email it to clinicalconnections@hpplans.com. HPP will assign the member for case management services and refer over to MANNA for meal services. HPP will also provide you with an acknowledgement letter about the referral and the assigned case manager. If there is a specific patient you would like to discuss, please contact our Clinical Programs team at 215-845-4797.

Using Find Help to Connect Members with Community Resources

As a reminder, if you have any patients experiencing food insecurity, HPP is partnered with Find Help, an online directory of local resources and support organizations, to help connect members with resources they need including housing, food, transportation and more. Visit hpp.findhelp.com to search for free and reduced-cost services, including local emergency food, food delivery, food pantries, meals, government food benefits and nutrition education.

For any questions, please contact the Provider Services Helpline at 1-888-991-9023 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.). Thank you for your support in providing the highest quality of care to our members.

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Meals as Medicine