Food As Medicine Infrastructure, The Growing Health Gap, & Health Systems Fleeing Medicare Advantage

Hey all,

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! I decided to start the week with some content on the gaps in the US healthcare system. Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroCard)

The Promise of Medically Tailored Meals (Health Tech Happy Hour)

Medically tailored meals (MTMs) are emerging as a powerful healthcare tool, addressing chronic diseases by integrating nutrition into care plans. Programs like these demonstrate cost savings, reduce hospitalizations, and improve patient outcomes through AI-driven logistics, personalized dietary solutions, and healthcare system integration. This piece outlines some of the technical infrastructure required for food to function as an essential component of medical treatment. Full Article.

Growing Health Gaps Across Ten Americas (The Lancet)

A landmark Lancet study examining life expectancy among ten distinct demographic groups in the US from 2000-2021 reveals widening health disparities. The gap between highest and lowest life expectancy groups expanded from 12.6 years in 2000 to 20.4 years in 2021, with Asian Americans consistently having the highest (84.0 years) and American Indian/Alaska Native individuals in Western states the lowest (63.6 years). The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically worsened these inequities, with marginalized groups experiencing the steepest declines, highlighting the urgent need to address systemic healthcare disparities. Full Article

Health Systems Drop Medicare Advantage Plans (Becker’s Hospital Review) 

A growing number of health systems are dropping Medicare Advantage contracts, citing administrative burdens like payment delays and high prior authorization denial rates. This trend reflects broader dissatisfaction among hospitals as 16% of CFOs plan to exit certain plans within two years, and 62% note increased difficulties in payment collection. Systems such as Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center and Vanderbilt Health are among those taking action. This trend highlights growing dissatisfaction as hospitals struggle with insurers who seem more skilled at denying payments than supporting healthcare delivery. Full Article.