
More than Meals
At MANNA we know that what we do is important and impactful. Our clients are some of the sickest, poorest, and most vulnerable members of our community, and these populations have the most to gain from the empowering effects of the MANNA Model. Right now, the nutrition services essential to the recovery and health of people living with severe illnesses are not consistently available across our healthcare system. MANNA seeks to change that. By educating healthcare leaders and elected officials about the health benefits of providing comprehensive nutrition services to those who need it to manage illness, we can ensure these services become a standard of care across the healthcare system.
We are amplifying our impact by reaching more clients in need across Pennsylvania and building awareness of our model among healthcare and policy leaders. Our vision is a healthcare system that recognizes food as medicine when prescribing treatment and paying for care among people with serious illnesses. To achieve this vision, we will need our healthcare and policy leaders to understand the benefits that result from a healthcare system that recognizes the powerful role of nutrition in treating illness.
Read our letter to President Biden for more details of our research-based policy recommendations.

Our Advocacy Areas
Right now, comprehensive food and nutrition services are often prescribed by physicians but not made available or affordable by health insurance plans. MANNA’s goal is that medical nutrition therapy, paired with medically appropriate meals when necessary, will become a standard covered service throughout all health insurance options. Using MANNA’s model as an exemplary standard, we teach health insurance companies, hospitals, and our state and federal health agencies how nutrition services improve health and reduce costs for our community’s most high-need populations. MANNA’s own partnerships with the region’s top Medicaid insurers – Health Partners Plans, Keystone First, Aetna Better Health, and UnitedHealthcare – exemplify our vision for the future. We engage public officials and healthcare leaders in our work so that comprehensive nutrition services are available in public and private healthcare plans, in hospital discharge planning, and across the full continuum of care.
More about the Food is Medicine Movement
Read about the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
Read about the Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health
Read about Creating Equitable Access and Coverage of Medically Tailored Meals
Read about 7 Key Policy Opportunities for the Upcoming White House Conference