Notice: The Request for Information (RFI) submission period and listening sessions have closed. The Department is currently reviewing and synthesizing all data and feedback received.
Help shape food and nutrition services in Maryland Medicaid
The Maryland Department of Health is seeking public input on a proposal to incorporate food and nutrition services into Maryland’s Medicaid program starting in 2028. Using In Lieu of Services and Settings (ILOS) authority, the Department is exploring how programs such as medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions could address eligible Medicaid enrollees' health-related nutrition needs. ILOS gives Medicaid managed care organizations the option to provide Department-approved services as cost-effective alternatives to, or complements of, traditional covered services.
This effort builds on Maryland’s existing Food is Medicine investments, including the
Medically Tailored Meals initiative and the
Produce Prescription program, both of which are supported by the
Population Health Improvement Fund. The Department will also draw on lessons from Maryland’s participation in the AHEAD model and the
Rural Health Transformation Program as this work moves forward.
This RFI is for planning and information gathering purposes only. No contracts or grants will be awarded on the basis of responses. A formal request for proposals or grant application process may follow at a later date.
Background
For more details on the proposal and a complete list of questions in the RFI, please review the background document (PDF) at https://health.maryland.gov/AHEAD/docs/Medicaid%20ILOS%20Food%20RFI%202026.pdf.
Medicaid enrollees, providers, community leaders, and other stakeholders are all encouraged to respond. Your input will help inform the Department’s approach to nutrition-related ILOS in Maryland.
How to respond
This RFI is now closed. The deadline to submit responses was Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
- Online Form: The submission portal is now closed to new responses.
- Review Process: The Department is currently synthesizing and reviewing all feedback received through RFI submissions and regional listening sessions.
- Next Steps: Updates regarding summary findings will be posted to this page as they become available.
- Inquiries: For general questions regarding this process, please contact [email protected]. (Please note: New RFI submissions are no longer being accepted.)
Listening Sessions
All listening sessions have concluded. We sincerely appreciate the community members, providers, and local leaders who attended in-person or virtually across Maryland to share their valuable perspectives. We held a total of 23 listening sessions with hundreds of participants.
