What They Are Saying: On the Accountable Produce Is Medicine Act
WASHINGTON – Representatives Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) and Sharice Davids (KS-03) introduced the bipartisan Accountable Produce is Medicine Act. This legislation would incorporate proven nutrition-based interventions to prevent and manage chronic disease.
Organizations supporting the measure include FreshRx Oklahoma, National Produce Prescription Collaborative, Kellyn Foundation, School of Global Health, Hunger Free Kansas, Texas Health Resources, Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance to Impact Social Determinants of Health, Healthcare Partnerships, Mosaic Life Care, and the Sunflower Foundation, and the International Fresh Produce Association.
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Here is what they are saying:
"The National Produce Prescription Collaborative (NPPC) commends Reps. Smucker and Davids for their introduction of the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act which builds on what we already know: prescribing fruits and vegetables at the point of care improves health outcomes and leads to lower healthcare costs. With its focus on regenerative agriculture, this important legislation addresses rising chronic illness in the United States while also strengthening connections to local farms. Rep. Smucker has been a champion for this work for some time, pushing to modernize Medicare Advantage guidance so that food-based interventions are recognized as “primarily health related” supplemental benefits. We are deeply grateful for his longstanding commitment to integrating healthy food into healthcare for Americans.” — NPPC Coalition Director Sam Hoeffler
“Too often, we treat the consequences of chronic disease while overlooking the root causes. One of the most powerful foundations of good health is optimal nutrition. Empowering the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to test bundled ‘food is medicine’ models can improve outcomes, enhance quality of life, and reduce costs. This is a practical, evidence-based step toward a more effective healthcare system that prioritizes whole-person health.” — Meagan L. Grega, MD, FACLM, Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer, Kellyn Foundation
“Representatives Lloyd Smucker and Sharice Davids are trailblazing a new path for health care by introducing an accountable bundled payment model for food is medicine. This historic first for Medicare would align incentives and payments while empowering patients with the tools to advance wellbeing and tackle preventable chronic diseases through nutritious food that is locally grown. Healthcare is truly local, and it starts with the healthy food our local farmers and ranchers provide for communities across the country.” — Winjie Miao, President, Texas Health Resources
“The Coalition for Metabolic Health strongly supports the bipartisan Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026 and its focus on integrating nutrition into care for chronic disease, and encourages its implementation to reflect the full range of nutrient-dense foods and evidence-based dietary approaches.
As food is medicine models are implemented, it is essential they reflect current nutrition science and allow for individualized, clinically appropriate approaches. Nutrition interventions should include a broad range of whole, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods, including fruits and vegetables; dairy; and animal and plant protein sources (including eggs, poultry, seafood, meat, beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy), to support diverse patient needs and cultural preferences.
A growing body of evidence—including recommendations reflected in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030—supports therapeutic carbohydrate reduction, including low-carbohydrate and ketogenic interventions, as effective tools for improving ‘metabolic health and reducing health care costs, particularly for conditions like diabetes, obesity, and related comorbidities.’
We encourage the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to ensure flexibility for clinicians and to evaluate outcomes across different dietary approaches. This will help maximize the model’s impact on improving health outcomes and reducing costs.
We applaud Representatives Smucker and Davids for their leadership.” — Coalition for Metabolic Health
“NASDOH applauds the introduction of the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act, which would require the CMS Innovation Center to test a bundled payment model that includes nutrition-focused interventions—such as produce prescriptions and nutrition counseling—in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP programs. The CMS Innovation Center has an important role in testing and implementing innovative payment and service delivery models to improve health outcomes and reduce costs. For this reason, it is critical that these value-based care efforts incorporate efforts to address the root causes of health, including nutrition.” — National Alliance to Impact Social Determinants of Health
"We’re grateful to Representatives Smucker and Davids for their continued leadership on commonsense solutions that better align our health care system with real outcomes. This legislation reinforces a simple truth: what people eat directly shapes their health, and fruits and vegetables must be central to the solution. Produce prescriptions are a proven, effective way to help prevent and manage chronic disease, and scaling these approaches is critical to improving the health of more Americans.” — Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association
“At Morrissey Market, we've built a national network of regional suppliers to deliver medically tailored groceries to patients managing chronic disease — because we believe locally grown food and clinical nutrition intervention go hand in hand. The Accountable Produce is Medicine Act gets this right, prioritizing local and regional producers while creating the federal infrastructure to scale food is medicine programs through Medicare and Medicaid. We applaud Rep. Smucker's leadership and are proud to support this legislation.” — Emily Roach, VP Healthcare Partnerships, Morrissey Market
“Our mission at Mosaic Life Care is to put the needs of the patient first by empowering a culture where caregivers bring their best, ensuring a healthier future for generations to come. The Food Is Medicine program reflects that commitment in a real way. We know that access to healthy food can be a barrier to better health. When patients are struggling to manage chronic conditions or recover from illness without reliable nutrition, clinical care alone isn’t enough. By addressing food insecurity as part of care, we are meeting patients where they are while investing in the long‑term health of our region.” — CEO Mike Poore, Mosaic Life Care, St. Joseph, Missouri
“As a statewide health foundation in Kansas with an interest in whole person care and systems change, the Sunflower Foundation has been investing in Food is Medicine implementation and evaluation for nearly five years. To take Food is Medicine from the “innovation” state to widespread best practice, the health care system needs multiple payment pathways that reflect the varied ways in which people seek, receive, and pay for care. Taking FIM to scale should also consider the existing assets and future potential of local farmers, growers, grocers, and other food businesses that require new markets and avenues for growth and are passionate about improving the health of their communities. This legislation marks a solid start to this important work by addressing two critical elements: payment pathways and local food sourcing.” — Brandon Skidmore, CEO & President, Sunflower Foundation
“Hunger Free Kansas commends Representative Davids and her colleagues for this bipartisan effort to scale proven solutions that improve health outcomes while reducing costs. Through the Blueprint for a Hunger-Free Kansas, we are advancing Food is Medicine as a strategy at the intersection of health, agriculture, and community. Kansas is positioned to be a nationwide leader in Food is Medicine, and we are proud to support the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026.” — Erika Debrick Kelly, Executive Director of Hunger Free Kansas