Foods like new medical companies could benefit

While Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces two days of Senate confirmation hearings this week in his search to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, a grupo of niche startups will be observing closely.

Kennedy, a divisive election to join the cabinet of President Donald Trump, will first go before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday. As HHS secretary, it would supervise a budget of more than $ 2 billion, which covered everything from drug research and approvals to Medicare and Medicaid health programs.

The skepticism of Kennedy's vaccines, and the presentations that show that it benefited from anti -cacamic demands, will probably be a central area of ​​questioning; Both parts of the political hall have criticized the nominated for their position.

Kennedy has promised to make nutritious food, instead of drugs, central to combat chronic diseases in the United States, since Republicans point to the Federal-State Medicaid program to obtain funds, some investors and startups in nutritional services covered by Medicaid That Kennedy goes “Make America Healthy Again” will increase the food sector as medicine and maintain growing programs outside the Trump administration block.

“In fact, I think that all signs point, with this administration, we will finally analyze the reasons … why people are as sick as they are,” said Ashley Tyrner-Dolce, CEO of Pharmboxrx, a start- It works with Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans to provide nutritious food shipments to involve patients to improve their health conditions.

As obesity and type 2 diabetes rates rise in the United States, Medicaid state programs have sought to provide active nutritional advice to help members combat chronic conditions, as well as large employers and plans Commercial insurance that they have been doing during the last decade.

During Trump's first administration, the Department of Health and Human Services stimulated States to address social needs such as food insecurity and health disparities. A handful of states received what is known as an exemption to demonstration of Medicaid of 1115 to provide nutritional programs as a form of preventive attention, which caused a great investment in space along the way.

In the last four years, more than four dozen food companies such as medicines have raised more than $ 2 billion of venture capital, including Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, along with medical care players such as CVS healthaccording to the follow -up of rock Health Advisory.

Funds for food agreements such as Medicine exceeded $ 483 million in 2024, an increase of 175% compared to the previous year, according to rock Health Advisory Data. In one of the largest offers of the year, the FoodSmart Telenutrition Startup obtained $ 200 million in risk funds led by TPG's Rise Fund.

Food companies like Medicine now see Kennedy as a potential ally.

In an interview with NPR, Kennedy said that Trump has given him “three instructions” about his role as secretary of the HHS: completion of corruption and conflicts in regulatory agencies, return to health agencies to the “gold standard” of the Science based on evidence and address chronic conditions.

“He wants to end the epidemic of chronic diseases with measurable impacts in a decrease in chronic disease in two years,” Kennedy said.

The demand for food and nutrition programs grew substantially in the last five years, with 20 states and Washington, DC, approved for exemptions at the end of the Biden administration, according to Medicare centers and Medicaid services. That has helped boost the growth of new companies focused on serving government health plans.

“Payers are significantly more interest, in terms of how food interventions can use to improve the lives of patients and then reduce the cost” that a decade ago, said Sanjeev Krishnan, managing partner of S2G Ventures, a capital fund of Founded risk founded by Walmart Lukas Walton heir.

S2G has funded five new food companies such as Medicine, including Nourishedrx, a five -year digital nutrition company that combines food deliveries with health training for patients in Medicaid and Medicare plans.

“In order to really help the people who need it most, those who are socially vulnerable, insecure nutritional, who also have diet -related diseases, had to work through the [government] The payers, “said the founder and director of Nourishedrx Lauren Driscoll, adding that it has taken to generate impulse.

“We had to make pilots and boost test points, and now we are entering recurring income, renewable and expanding contracts,” he said.

Kennedy's support to focus on the diet, instead of medicine, to treat chronic conditions can only feed more enthusiasm of investors for growing space.

“The proposals of the HHS incoming administration to expand the coverage of healthy foods and nutrition services such as medical benefits and increase research funds for medical nutrition is likely to continue promoting investors' enthusiasm in space,” Chris said Lew, director of the Health Rock Consulting Team.

The FoodSmart CEO, Dr. Jason Langheier, said that the high cost of diabetes and weight loss medications is helping to boost the interest of food programs, as well as Medicaid exemptions and policy initiatives that have increased the coverage of nutritional aid.

“Food care providers will now have … an opportunity to work with the State, to create a program that has caused a return on investment for the State and health plans, to help people on a scale, especially due At the pressure.

At the end of November, the Biden administration proposed to extend the coverage of innovative antiobesity drugs such as Novo NordiskSgovy and Eli LillyS Zepbound to patients with Medicaid and Medicare.

If confirmed, Kennedy will probably oppose the expansion of the GLP-1 coverage, given his vocal criticism to the faces of weight loss. It is likely that the proposal is also a non -star for the Trump administration due to its cost, that the estimates of the Congress Budget office would be $ 35 billion from 2026 to 2034.

If Kennedy is confirmed or not, Krishnan of S2G said that the United States is directed towards a tax calculation in the medical care spending, and food programs can play a fundamental role in reducing preventable disease.

“We are going to have a type of real conversation about medical care, and how we obtain ideal results for patients, but we also do not have the complete budget or significant part of the US budget. They focused on medical care,” he said.