A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Personnel Cabinet, in consultation with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, to integrate community supported agriculture purchases into the wellness rewards programs offered to public employees and retirees who receive health insurance coverage through the Kentucky Employees Health Plan.

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A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Personnel Cabinet, in consultation with the 1
Kentucky Department of Agriculture, to integrate community supported agriculture 2
purchases into the wellness rewards programs offered to public employees and retirees 3
who receive health insurance coverage through the Kentucky Employees Health Plan. 4
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Employees Health Plan (KEHP) expends $2 billion 5
annually to provide hea lth benefits to nearly 300,000 current and former public 6
employees and dependents; and 7
WHEREAS, KEHP has an established wellness rewards program that provides plan 8
members with incentives for intentional practices, habits, and initiatives that lead to 9
improved health outcomes and help reduce overall healthcare costs; and 10
WHEREAS, community supported agriculture (CSA) is a growing sector of 11
Kentucky's agricultural economy that allows farmers to offer shares of their seasonal 12
harvest directly to the public, p roviding farmers with predictable income and improved 13
farm viability, thereby leading to strengthened food systems and stronger rural 14
economies; and 15
WHEREAS, CSA programs improve public access to fresh, nutrient -dense foods 16
aligned with the dietary guideli nes for Americans, support improved eating habits and 17
nutrition, help prevent chronic disease, and can reduce overall healthcare costs; and 18
WHEREAS, researchers examining the University of Kentucky's long -standing 19
CSA program reported improved dietary habi ts, reduced doctor's office and clinic visits, 20
and initial savings of $2.47 in medical expenditures for every $1 spent on the program; 21
and 22
WHEREAS, providing additional incentives to KEHP participants to consume 23
healthier, more nutrient -dense foods through CSA programs is an important first step to 24
improving the health of our state's workforce, a tool for supporting and growing 25
Kentucky's farm families and agricultural economy, and a pathway to reducing healthcare 26
costs for governmental employers across the Commonwealth; 27
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NOW, THEREFORE, 1
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. The Personnel Cabinet is hereby directed, in co nsultation with the 3
Kentucky Department of Agriculture, to integrate CSA purchases into the wellness 4
rewards programs offered to public employees and retirees who receive health insurance 5
coverage through the Kentucky Employees Health Plan (KEHP). 6
(1) The Personnel Cabinet shall: 7
(a) Provide a process by which a KEHP plan participant can verify proof of 8
their purchase of a CSA product or contract; 9
(b) Determine a reward value or values in the KEHP wellness program for 10
the participant's purchase of a CSA product or contract; 11
(c) Develop a process to evaluate the participation rate of KEHP members 12
claiming wellness program rewards for CSA purchases; and 13
(d) Work collaboratively with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to 14
market and provide information on CSA programs, including but not limited to preparing 15
information for distribution to plan participants and attending KEHP wellness fairs. 16
(2) The Personnel Cabinet may: 17
(a) Implement the rewards program option provided in this section through 18
a third-party administrator; and 19
(b) Consult with the third -party administrator or the Kentucky Department 20
of Agriculture to implement provisions of this section. 21
(3) The Personnel Cabinet shall implement this section for the wellness rewards 22
program in the 2027 KEHP plan year. 23
Section 2. By July 1, 2028, for health plan year 2027 and July 1, 2029, for 24
health plan year 2028, the Personnel Cabinet shall, in collaboration with the Kentucky 25
Department of Agriculture, submit a report to the Interim Joint Committees on State 26
Government and Appropriations and Revenue that includes but is not limited to: 27
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(1) The total number of participants who submitted a CSA purchase for wellness 1
points; 2
(2) The number of participants who are, or self -identify, as first -time purchasers 3
of a CSA product or contract as reported through survey responses; 4
(3) The number of participants who self -report dietary behavior changes as 5
reported through survey responses; 6
(4) The satisfaction level of participants wh o purchased a CSA product or 7
contract, including whether the participant would purchase a CSA product or contract in 8
the future, as reported through survey responses; 9
(5) Any data useful in determining potential reductions in KEHP healthcare costs; 10
and 11
(6) Options that would encourage the use of CSAs by KEHP participants that 12
align with improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and providing more 13
market viability for Kentucky farmers. 14