All About Medicare and Medicaid for Meal Delivery

In Minnesota, older adults and individuals living with a disability may qualify for subsidized meals through medicare or medicaid food delivery programs. Under the Elderly Wavier and Alternative Care (AC) program, for example, recipients 65 and older can receive funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) to help support them while they live at home or in a community setting (according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services).

Who Qualifies for Home Food Delivery

To qualify for home delivered meals, an individual will need to fall under one of the following waiver/AC programs: Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI), and Developmental Disabilities (DD).  

Additional requirements for home delivery meals include:

  • The recipient must be 18 years or older
  • The recipient must be unable to prepare his/her own meals
  • The recipient is using the most cost-effective method that ensures a nutritionally balanced meal
  • The recipient does not have another person to prepare the meals

As noted, an individual may also qualify if he/she falls under the EW and AC programs. Additional requirements for eligibility under EW and AC include:

  • The recipient must be age 18 or older
  • The recipient is using the most cost-effective method that ensures a nutritionally balanced meal

Do Any Restrictions Apply?

An individual receiving a meal service as part of another funding source, such as foster care or housing support, will not be eligible to receive medicaid food delivery. For information on other guidelines and restrictions, visit the Minnesota Department of Human Resources website.  

How to Get Medicare/Medicaid Waivers for Home Food Delivery 

To start receiving home food delivery from Meals on Wheels, your provider will need to complete the following steps:

  1. To receive payment from Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP), your provider must:
    1. Enroll as a MHCP provider
    2. Provide the proper licensure or documentation supporting his/her qualifications to provide waiver services, such as home food delivery
    3. Obtain a DHS approved service authorization to provide services for the MHCP member
  2. Your provider will also need to register for an MN-ITS account.
  3. Each month, your provider will need to verify program eligibility for each member receiving home food delivery though phone or MN-ITS eligibility verification.

Is Meals on Wheels Covered by Medicare/Medicaid?

Ensuring that you receive fresh, nutritious meals delivered directly to your home is our mission. 

For questions regarding your eligibility for home delivered meals, contact us at (612) 623-3363 or email us at [email protected]. Consultation is always free and available Monday-Friday from 8:30am–5:00pm.