**Starting 3/1/26 CountyCare has changed eligibility criteria for Foodsmart and their MNT benefits have changed. All ineligible members after 3/1/26 will not be able to schedule visits. Ineligible members will continue to have access to the Foodsmart platform and any earned Foodsmart Bucks for the next 12 months.
Type: Medicaid - Social Determinant of Health
Program Goal: Reduced cost of care through healthier members
Target Population: Health Plan Members with specific health conditions
States Served: IL
RD Requirements:
Health Plan Credentialing | State Medicaid Enrollment | Foodsmart Credentialing Requirements |
CAQH Application - Profile Updated | Medallion Credentialing Application |
Benefits Overview:
Video Required | # of Allowed Visits | # of Allowed Units per Visit | Schedule Cadence | Foodsmart Program Features |
No | Covered conditions visits: 6
Not covered conditions visits: 0
*Any visits that have already been completed in 2026 will count towards the total visit limit of 6 | No limit
| Once per month or based on clinical appropriateness | Foodsmart app, Telenutrition
|
CountyCare Qualifying Conditions for MNT Visits (starting 3/1/26):
Pregnancy + 6 months postpartum
Meets ALL of the following 3 criteria:
Hypertension AND
Type 2 Diabetes AND
High medical service utilizers as determined by CCH
RD Assessments:
Nutriquiz | SNAP Required | Risk Assessment Required |
Recommended before the 2nd visit and every 3 months | Eligibility should be checked frequently | No |
Food Benefits:
Foodsmart Bucks | Foodboxes/MTM | Food Selection Instructions |
$50 for initial $15 for follow up visits
| Yes | MTF Boxes
Emergency Meals will ONLY be ordered by CCH after 3/1. RDs are no longer able to request these meals.
Any members already receiving food boxes or emergency meals will be able to continue the course of their food (regardless if eligible for MNT after 3/1/26). |
CountyCare Food Benefits:
Medically Tailored Meals (MTM)
What is this? A no cost, home delivery of medically-tailored-meals or produce/grocery boxes to help members manage their chronic conditions.
Who qualifies?
Pregnant with Gestational Diabetes
Pregnant with Hypertension
Type 2 Diabetes AND Hypertension
How to enroll your member?
If your member has any of the qualifying criteria above you can enroll in the MTM program by submitting this survey.
Once the response is submitted, the vendor (details below) will conduct outreach by phone call/SMS to confirm delivery date and time frame within ~1–3 weeks before delivery.
What do members receive?
Produce Boxes Most members will be assigned to receive produce boxes from Dion’s Chicago Dream by default.
Medically Tailored Meals from ChiFresh Kitchen for members who:
Have challenges that prevent them from cooking
Do not have access to a working kitchen
Have congestive heart failure
How long do members receive food?
Members will receive weekly deliveries of medically tailored meals or produce boxes for a duration of 6 to 26 weeks, based on eligibility and program approval.
Medically Tailored Meals: 14 meals / week
Produce Boxes: 1 box / week
Please note that the CCH Medically Tailored Food (MTF) program is not renewable, and is a one-time benefit.
If your member does NOT qualify for MTM (with qualifying conditions listed above) you can refer your member for Emergency Meals by submitting this form.
Maternity Benefits:
CountyCare has launched a program with Brighter Beginnings to help support expectant families and babies stay healthy during pregnancy and after the baby is born. This program offers expectant mothers benefits for engaging in their care throughout their pregnancy journey.
Mothers can receive $50 for just letting CountyCare know they are pregnant by completing the Notification of Pregnancy Form on the CountyCare website.
Mothers can receive $250 in Visa rewards for going to prenatal check ups and receive a free card seat, crib, and diapers.
How should you document this referral?
Please add that you made the referral to Brighter Beginnings in the interventions section in FFD.
If members have any questions or concerns about their benefit changes please direct them to CountyCare Health Plan’s Member Services: 312-864-8200, (855) 444-1661 (toll-free)
Resources for food insecure members:
Help them enroll in IL SNAP if you have not done so already. This is a huge priority for CountyCare in 2025 and critical to our ability to allow patients without the listed conditions to engage with us more frequently early on.
Here are some helpful resources you can provide to your member:
Critical Incident Reporting
Correct procedures for reporting various incidents that may arise while conducting a Telehealth appointment. Understanding and adhering to these protocols is essential for maintaining high standards of care and ensuring the safety and well-being of our CountyCare patients.
Please see the following link of Overview of Health Plans for info on all health plans.