Healthy Meal Plan Deliveries for Seniors and Family Caretakers

Having the resources to eat well is important regardless of age. Illness and disabilities can make it difficult for seniors, the fastest-increasing portion of the U.S. population, to receive a balanced diet. Malnutrition occurs in over 20 percent of the senior and elderly population. It is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms can be misdiagnosed as an illness. These include:

• weight loss
• loss of appetite
• disorientation
• lethargy

Healthcare meal delivery is a service family caregivers can use to ensure their elderly and senior loved ones eat properly.

Due to either financial hardships or physical limitations, many of the elderly and senior population do not eat as well as they should. Medications can reduce the appetite, and disabilities such as blindness or arthritis can make cooking difficult. A study done by Humana, one of the leading private providers of healthcare meal plans, found that over 30 percent of seniors skip at least one meal daily. The reasons seniors and the elderly missed meals included:

• financial hardship
• illness
• dental problems
• forgetfulness
• loneliness
• depression

Medicare is insurance seniors who have worked in their lifetime qualify for. Medicare does not pay 100 percent of any cost and is actually intended to be a supplemental type of insurance. Medicaid is health insurance paid to those who qualify either due to a low income, illness, or disability.

While Medicare was never intended to be the main insurance source for the elderly and for seniors, the rising costs of health insurance have discouraged many seniors from purchasing private insurance. Many seniors received private insurance when they worked as part of their benefits package but lost those benefits once they retired. Medicare does not cover any type of healthcare meal plan. That is why it is important that families provide supplemental health insurance to seniors. 

Supplemental health insurance for the elderly and seniors can be expensive. However, in the long-term, it pays for itself. In addition to providing senior healthcare meal plans and elderly healthcare meal plans, supplemental health insurance covers:

• Alzheimer's facilities
• home caregivers
• assisted living
• nursing homes
• hospice care
• respite care

As of this writing, there are several insurance companies that offer a healthcare meal plan in their listed benefits. Benefits will vary by state. If you are unsure if your insurance plan covers healthcare meal delivery, check with your provider. Insurance companies that cover a home-delivered meal plan include:

• Humana Health Care
• Care Plus
• Summit Health Plans
• Vista Health Plans
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield varies by state
• Mature Health Center
• Senior Dimensions, not available in all states
• United Health Care

These insurance companies may work with a private meal delivery company, or they may partner with the Area Agency on Aging and partner with Meals on Wheels. Each plan has restrictions and qualifications. These include:

1. Some plans only provide up to 10 or 14 meals immediately following a hospitalization.
2. Some plans only cover a portion of the cost of the meal. They may pay 20 percent on a $7.00 meal.
3. Some plans require a doctor prescribes home-delivered meals.
4. Some plans only deliver meals to those age 65 or older, even if the insurance covers the senior starting at age 55.
5. Some plans require a large deductible, in some cases up to $5,000, to be met before the plan will cover meals.

Generally, insurance plans that cover home-delivered meals for seniors and the elderly need to be in place at least 90 days before there are plans to use the meals. If not, the meals will not be covered.

In order for supplemental insurance to pay for the cost of the meals, the meals must be a combination of low-fat, low-sodium foods and must be either shelf-stable or frozen. Additionally, the meals must contain the required number of vitamins and minerals as recommended for seniors by the USDA.