CMS is calling on hospitals to ensure their patient food and nutrition services align with the latest federal dietary standards.
CMS outlined its recommendations in a March 30 memo, emphasizing that food is a critical component of care delivery.
Five things to know:
1. The memo reminds hospitals of their obligations related to nutrition services under Medicare’s Conditions of Participation. CMS said hospitals should ensure menus, food procurement and nutrition protocols align with the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans released Jan. 7 by the Trump administration. The guidelines place greater emphasis on limiting ultra-processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates while prioritizing whole and minimally processed foods. While the memo does not create new regulatory requirements, it raises the bar for what CMS considers compliant nutrition services.
2. The memo urges hospitals to eliminate or limit ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, processed meats, and deep-fried cooking methods from patient menus. Meals should contain fewer than 10 grams of added sugar unless clinically indicated, CMS said.
3. Hospitals should instead offer menus that prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, healthy fats and minimally processed proteins, including plant-based options. For postsurgical patients on clear liquid diets, CMS encourages lower-sugar or no-added-sugar alternatives to traditionally sweetened options such as gelatin and clear juices.
4. About 90% of the nation’s roughly $5 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures involve patients with chronic disease, according to CMS data.
“Given these dynamics, it is an urgent priority for hospitals who treat Medicare patients to ensure their policies and practices provide those patients with high-quality and clinically appropriate dietary options,” the agency wrote in the memo.
5. CMS also urged hospitals to treat inpatient stays as an opportunity to educate patients on healthy eating, using hospital meals to reinforce healthy dietary habits recommended at discharge.
View the full memo here.
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