The Nutrition Economics Special Interest Group is dedicated to characterizing the economic and health outcomes of nutrition and advancing the scientific methodologies and approaches for studying nutrition economics more broadly. Over the past several years, the SIG has completed two collaborative papers: the first was a scoping review of MN terminology and regulations in Europe and the United States, which found extensive inconsistencies across countries in terminology used and a dearth of economic evaluations to inform the adoption of FSMP. The second paper took a broad look at coverage and reimbursement policies for FSMP across 14 countries in four continents. Despite the importance of medical nutrition (MN) for the management of malnutrition and nutrition-related disorders and conditions, little is known about regulatory policies governing reimbursement and coverage of Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP) across the world. A number of issues were identified, including (1) limited reimbursement in the outpatient and community settings; (2) variation in the conditions eligible for reimbursement across countries; (3) lack of health technology assessment to inform coverage and reimbursement decisions; and (4) a disconnect between clinical guidelines and coverage.

This Forum session will highlight the key findings from the most recent report, delve into the coverage and reimbursement issues identified in the review, and highlight opportunities for future collaborations related to the economics of MN and non-MN to improve societal health. Specifically, Mark Nuijten will discuss the need for future research in regulatory issues - aligning reimbursement with the clinical value of nutritional care and Tânia Maria Beume will discuss the need for research to improve equity in reimbursement across settings. The session will wrap up with a discussion about key SIG initiatives for the coming year.