HR 8355
Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026
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Bill overview
This bill, the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026, directs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a new model focused on using ‘accountable produce is medicine’ interventions to reduce chronic diseases. It proposes a bundled payment model that would provide eligible individuals with access to services like personalized nutrition plans, care coordination, telehealth, and healthy foods, prioritizing locally sourced produce. The goal is to improve health outcomes and potentially lower healthcare costs by integrating food as medicine into existing Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program programs.
Key provisions
- Requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a ‘Accountable Produce is Medicine’ bundled payment model.
- Prioritizes programs that offer fresh, frozen, or minimally processed fruits and vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods.
- Specifies services to be included in the model, such as personalized health risk assessments, nutrition counseling, and remote patient monitoring.
- Defines eligibility criteria for individuals participating in the program, including those with diabetes, obesity, or other chronic conditions.
- Establishes a 5-year duration for the model’s testing.
- Requires data collection and evaluation of the program’s impact on healthcare costs and patient outcomes.
- Defines ‘regenerative agriculture’ for the purpose of prioritizing locally sourced produce.
- Allows selected programs to assume financial risk for performance under the model beginning in the third year.
Who is affected
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 8355
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model to reduce chronic diseases by using accountable produce is medicine.
This Act may be cited as the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026
.
It is the sense of Congress that—
evidence-based food is medicine interventions, including medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, produce prescriptions, and nutrition counseling, have the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce health care expenditures;
the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation should, to the extent practicable, incorporate such interventions, as appropriate, into models tested under section 1115A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315a); and
incorporating food is medicine interventions into Innovation Center models may improve quality of care, reduce costs, and support the prevention and management of chronic disease.
Section 1115A of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315a) is amended—
in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026, and, beginning not later than the date that is 180 days after the enactment of the
before the period at the end; and
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
For purposes of subsection (b)(2)(A), the Accountable Produce is Medicine Bundled Payment Model described in this subsection is a model under which bundled payment is made under title XVIII, title XIX, or title XXI, as appropriate, for selected programs to furnish Accountable Produce is Medicine services to eligible individuals.
selected program.
Under the model under paragraph (1), a selected program shall comply with each of the following requirements:
Accountable Produce is Medicine servicesor
APIM services):
A personalized health risk assessment and personalized prevention plan services.
Care coordination services.
Telehealth services related to chronic disease monitoring, education, and follow-up.
Remote patient monitoring items and services that are clinically appropriate for chronic disease monitoring and facilitate a timely response from a provider in the case that significant changes in such data are detected.
Healthy, nutrient-dense foods meeting such standards as the Secretary shall determine, with preference given to produce grown within 250 miles of the selected program or through the use of regenerative agriculture.
In the case of an individual who is determined by the selected program under subparagraph (A) to be an eligible individual, the selected program shall—
regularly evaluate the individual’s engagement with the program and adherence to program requirements;
on a quarterly basis collect from such individual updated weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose measurements, and any other measurements determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
evaluate the measurements collected under clause (iii);
provide for an additional determination under subparagraph (A) as to whether such individual remains an eligible individual.
APIM services furnished by a selected program to an eligible individual shall be provided without application of deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing under the applicable title.
The model described in paragraph (1) shall be carried out for a period of not less than 5 years.
In this subsection:
The term eligible individual means an individual—
who is—
entitled to benefits under part A of title XVIII or enrolled under part B of such title;
enrolled under a State plan (or waiver of such plan) under title XIX; or
enrolled under a State child health plan (or waiver of such plan) under title XXI;
in the clinical judgment of a physician or other health care professional, who would benefit from participation in the model;
who the eligible program determines to be prepared to participate in the model; and
The term eligible program means a provider of services or supplier enrolled in the program under title XVIII, title XIX, or title XXI.