Washington DC - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is calling on Americans to report hospitals and nursings homes that serve meals that don't meet his Make America Healthy Again standards.
On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – which operates within HHS – sent a memo to hospitals across the country notifying them that they will be required to change their meals to fall in line with the new federal dietary guidelines rolled out earlier this year in order to receive Medicaid and Medicare payments.
A day later, Casey Means, a senior advisor to Kennedy, shared an X post urging patients in hospitals to "let CMS know" if they are being served anything "out of compliance with government standards."
The post included a link to a site that provided a number for patients to call with complaints.
The efforts have come under scrutiny, as critics argue that Kennedy and HHS do not have the power to withdraw funds without congressional approval.
Dietitian Kevin Klatt described the moves to CBS News on Thursday as "political theater" and "a little fascist."
During a press conference earlier this month, Kennedy argued, "We shouldn't be giving people who are sick Jell-O, Cheerios, rubber chicken and sugary drinks," further adding that "good food" is "the most important tool of medicine."
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz similarly criticized hospital food as "bland," "poorly prepared," and "lacking nutrition," and he insisted the changes should only lead to "about a 5% increase in cost."