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Tribes urge HHS to expand ‘food as medicine’ programs; IHS pledges to scale produce‑prescription pilots
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Summary
In a separate session on food sovereignty, tribal leaders described gardens, micro‑markets and produce‑prescription pilots (P4) and urged permanent SDPI funding and flexible cross‑program use; IHS said it will expand the P4 pilot.
Tribal leaders framed "real food" and traditional diets as central health interventions and urged HHS to expand funding and flexibility for food‑as‑medicine initiatives.
IHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christensen opened the session by calling food "medicine" and describing IHS produce‑prescription pilots (P4) underway in several tribal communities. Panelists and tribal speakers then detailed local projects — community gardens, micro markets, a Cherokee Nation meat‑processing facility, and school and elder meal programs — and urged HHS to protect grants that support traditional foods and nutrition.
Speakers repeatedly asked for programmatic flexibility so tribes can combine funds and reduce administrative reporting burdens. Lonnie Grenninger and others warned that offices and grants (including Healthy Tribes grants such as TIPWIC and GWIC) face elimination, which would jeopardize longstanding traditional‑food programming.
Several tribal leaders requested that Medicare and Medicaid billing (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS) better recognize and reimburse culturally relevant services — including proposals to allow tribes more direct access to CMS revenue without state plan amendments or managed care barriers. TJ Green said tribes should be able to bill for traditional‑food or traditional‑healing services in the same way some naturopathic supplements are billed.
Agency panelists offered practical follow-ups. Eric Miller of the FDA encouraged tribal participation in FDA working groups and offered training and grant resources related to food safety and processing. Representatives from the Administration for Community Living and Administration for Children and Families described grant opportunities for gardens and senior nutrition programs. Principal Deputy Administrator Lazar (ACL) and Dr. Christensen (IHS) pledged active support; Christensen said the IHS will expand the P4 program.
Tribes recommended structural ideas — expanding 638 self‑determination authorities for SNAP administration, creating tribal agricultural capacity (including processing and seed reclamation), and reducing interagency barriers that hamper food‑system solutions. Several leaders urged HHS to coordinate with USDA, EPA and state partners on processing, transport and contamination issues that limit safe use of traditional foods.
Panelists closed with commitments to increase site visits, announce grant/prize opportunities for community gardens, and follow up on training and regulatory requests. The session ended with invitations for one‑on‑one tribal meetings to pursue specific partnerships and next steps.
