Rep. Robin Kelly Introduces Bicameral Bill to Advance Food is Medicine Initiatives

WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) introduced a billthat would support Food is Medicine programs nationwide to improve health outcomes through nutrition while lowering healthcare costs. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will also introduce his companion bill.

Food is Medicine programs prioritize fresh, nutritious foods to help alleviate diet-related diseases through produce prescriptions, on-site food pantries, culinary education, and medically tailored meals. Americans spend nearly $1.1 trillion every year to treat diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Food insecurity and food deserts contribute to the cause of these diseases by forcing low-income families to rely on cheap, but often less nutritious, foods.

"Everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to healthy foods that fuel their bodies and minds. But like the 40 million Americans who live in food deserts, many of my constituents in urban, suburban, and rural areas live closer to a fast-food restaurant than a grocery store," said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. "My bill would address these challenges by supporting Food is Medicine programs to help prevent, manage, and treat diet-related diseases. The best medicine is preventative medicine - and that includes food."

"We should be making it easier for working families across New Mexico to put food on the table while lowering costs and increasing access to healthy, locally-sourced meals," said Heinrich, Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for SNAP, WIC, and other federal nutrition programs. "My Food for Health Act does exactly that by funding programs that connect rural communities to fresh produce and nutritious foods, supporting New Mexicans' health and our local producers at the same time."

The Fueling Optimal Outcomes through Diet (FOOD) for Health Actdirects the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to Food is Medicine programs that prioritize local foods and regional diversity. The bill would authorize $20 million through fiscal year 2029 and require an initial report to Congress analyzing the efficiency and impact on patient outcomes and system costs.

The FOOD For Health Act is endorsed by several leading agriculture, nutrition, and Food is Medicine organizations, including Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dion's Chicago Dream, Feeding America, Foodsmart, Good Food is Good Medicine, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Illinois Public Health Institute, Wound Pros, and Down at the Farms.

"With every year that passes, hundreds of billions in healthcare costs and countless avoidable deaths result from chronic conditions related to poor nutrition," said Dr. Jason Langheier, CEO and co-founder of Foodsmart. "The connection between a proper diet and vastly improved health outcomes is indisputable based on the scientific evidence, and everyone in America should have access to a primary care dietitian who is empowered to tailor a personalized 'foodcare' strategy on behalf of their patients. Congresswoman Kelly's FOOD for Health Act is a key step towards helping seniors with any disease to receive the 'foodcare' they need, ensuring that key agencies gather the data that they need to make these interventions available more broadly."

"The Wound Pros applauds and supports the introduction of the FOOD for Health Act," said Dr. Bill Releford, CEO of The Wound Pros and owner of Bloom Ranch of Acton. "We have witnessed first-hand how essential a healthy diet and access to nutritious food are for a patient's overall health and well-being. Effective treatment goes beyond medical intervention and must encompass holistic lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, many patients still lack access to or cannot afford healthy food options. We look forward to working with congressional champions to advance the FOOD for Health Act to ensure that more individuals have the opportunity to benefit from nutritious, local food as part of their care."

"For the neighbors we serve in Chicago and suburban Cook County, food is not purely sustenance; food is medicine," said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. "Many of those we serve are experiencing the stress of food insecurity at the same time as having to manage a chronic condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. We know that having reliable and consistent access to healthy food improves health outcomes. We applaud Congresswoman Robin Kelly for her leadership on the FOOD for Health Act, which will support Food is Medicine programs and ensure food banks and other community-based partners have an opportunity to participate."

Read the full text of the FOOD For Health Act here.