4/10/2024 –
A consortium of San Francisco health officials and nonprofits is pushing for California legislators to permanently enshrine access to nutritious food as a covered benefit under the state’s Medicaid program.
The California State Assembly Committee on Health will consider Assembly Bill 1975 in a hearing next week. The legislation, sponsored by the San Francisco-based Food as Medicine Collaborative and introduced by Oakland Assemblymember Mia Bonta, would make a pilot program that provides “medically supportive food and nutrition services” — including meals — a permanent benefit for Medi-Cal recipients.
If passed, the program would become permanent starting in 2026.
Founded in 2015, the Food as Medicine Collaborative seeks to bridge nutritional gaps for The City’s low-income and minority communities. The coalition now represents dozens of community clinics, food nonprofits, businesses and health-care systems in San Francisco, aiming to improve nutritional-food access and affordability.
