Advocacy
At the American Heart Association, we champion equitable access to nutritious, affordable food as a critical factor in preventing heart disease and improving population health. Our advocacy efforts focus on shaping policies that will impact cardiovascular health and mortality. Food is medicine is a promising approach to address diet-related and other chronic conditions within the health care system.
Explore Resources
Dr. Kevin Volpp, Health Care by Food’s scientific lead, testified to Congress at the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Subcommittee on Nutrition, Agricultural Research, and Specialty Crops hearing.
(December 13, 2022)
AHA submitted FY 2025 testimony for the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, on food is medicine.
(May 3, 2024)
AHA submitted testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, for the hearing entitled “Feeding a Healthier America: Current Efforts and Potential Opportunities for Food is Medicine.”
(May 21, 2024)
AHA submitted a comment in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ request for information (RFI) on Medicare Advantage (MA) Data, published in the Federal Register, vol. 89, no. 20, pp. 5907-5909.
(May 29, 2024)
AHA submitted testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health entitled “Hearing on Investing in a Healthier America: Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment.”
(September 18, 2024)
Dr. Kevin Volpp presented at a congressional briefing entitled “Prescribing Better Health Through Produce Prescriptions.”
(September 19, 2024)
AHA joined a FY 2025 organizational sign-on letter on food is medicine.
(October 28, 2024)
FY 2025 bipartisan Congressional Dear Colleague Letter for the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, on food is medicine.
(May 1, 2024)
As part of our efforts to track food is medicine policy developments nationwide, we are monitoring state efforts to secure Medicaid waivers and other flexibilities that allow for food is medicine approaches to be incorporated into state Medicaid programs.