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A JOINT RESOLUTION declaring Kentucky a Food is Medicine state and 1
directing state agencies to advance Food is Medicine initiatives. 2
WHEREAS, the United States spends $4.5 trillion annually on health care with 90 3
percent of those expenditures covering care for people with chronic physical and mental 4
health conditions; and 5
WHEREAS, six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease and four in 10 6
have two or more chronic diseases; and 7
WHEREAS, diet-related physical conditions such as obesity impact 41.9 percent of 8
adults in the United States and result in $173 billion annually in health care costs; and 9
WHEREAS, in Kentucky, 40.4 percent of ad ults have at least one chronic physical 10
disease such as diabetes or heart disease, which results in over $29.4 billion in health care 11
expenses annually; and 12
WHEREAS, the incidence of chronic disease is higher in rural and other areas 13
underserved by health and community resources compared to better served areas which 14
intensifies population health disparities in the state; and 15
WHEREAS, some state pilot programs and national studies have demonstrated that 16
Food is Medicine intervention programs, especially when administered in clinical 17
settings, can prevent and improve health care outcomes for chronic diseases, thereby 18
reducing chronic disease rates and health care costs; and 19
WHEREAS, Kentucky has pioneered Food is Medicine efforts, including the 20
Kentucky Hospit al Association's (KHA) partnership with the Kentucky Department of 21
Agriculture (KDA), to launch a dedicated initiative to integrate health care and 22
agriculture with the goal of making Kentucky citizens healthier by addressing poor diet, 23
food insecurity, an d agriculture production barriers as well as health insurance 24
provisions, basic nutrition needs, and chronic disease management; and 25
WHEREAS, Kentucky hospitals, through the KHA and its members, are leading in 26
the Food is Medicine initiative by creating and implementing Food is Medicine programs 27
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in clinical settings and employee care programs that track and monitor health outcomes; 1
and 2
WHEREAS, declaring Kentucky a Food is Medicine state will build on the 3
foundations of the KHA and the KDA partnership by fostering collaboration among 4
health care providers, private insurers, managed care organizations, state agencies, local 5
governments, and nonprofit organizations to expand initiatives using local farm products 6
in nutritional health interventions; and 7
WHEREAS, the Food is Medicine state declaration aligns with Kentucky's 8
commitment to improving population health, reducing health disparitie s, and promoting 9
preventive care as cost-effective strategies for long-term fiscal sustainability, particularly 10
amid Kentucky's ongoing battle against nutrition-sensitive chronic diseases; and 11
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Employees Health Plan (KEHP) expends $2 b illion 12
annually to provide health benefits to nearly 300,000 current and former public 13
employees and dependents; and 14
WHEREAS, KEHP has an established wellness rewards program that provides plan 15
members with incentives for intentional practices, habits, and initiatives that lead to 16
improved health outcomes and help reduce overall healthcare costs; and 17
WHEREAS, community supported agriculture (CSA) is a growing sector of 18
Kentucky's agricultural economy that allows farmers to offer shares of their seasonal 19
harvest directly to the public, providing farmers with predictable income and improved 20
farm viability, thereby leading to strengthened food systems and stronger rural 21
economies; and 22
WHEREAS, CSA programs improve public access to fresh, nutrient -dense foods 23
aligned with the dietary guidelines for Americans, support improved eating habits and 24
nutrition, help prevent chronic disease, and can reduce overall healthcare costs; and 25
WHEREAS, researchers examining the University of Kentucky's long -standing 26
CSA program reported improved dietary habits, reduced doctor's office and clinic visits, 27
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and initial savings of $2.47 in medical expenditures for every $1 spent on the program; 1
WHEREAS, providing additional incentives to KEHP participants to consume 2
healthier, more nu trient-dense foods through CSA programs is an important first step to 3
improving the health of our state's workforce, a tool for supporting and growing 4
Kentucky's farm families and agricultural economy, and a pathway to reducing healthcare 5
costs for governmental employers across the Commonwealth; 6
NOW, THEREFORE, 7
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 8
Section 1. The General Assembly hereby declares Kentucky to be a Food is 9
Medicine state to recognize the critical role of nutrition in preventing and managing 10
chronic diseases and to promote the use of local food products in health care systems. 11
Section 2. State agencies are directed to advance Food is Medicine initiatives 12
by taking all appropriate actions, including but not limited to: 13
(1) Affirming the integration of nutrition as a core component of medical 14
treatment and public health policy; 15
(2) Supporting coordination with the Kentucky Hospital Association, the 16
Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and other relevant agencies and partners to pilot 17
medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions for high-risk populations; 18
(3) Forming public -private partnerships to support local food systems and 19
community-based food delivery; and 20
(4) Supporting evaluations to measure the health outcomes, cost savings, and 21
impacts of Food is Medicine initiatives. 22
Section 3. (1) The Personnel Cabinet is hereby directed, in consultation 23
with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, to integrate community supported 24
agriculture (CSA) purchases into the wellness rewards programs offered to public 25
employees and retire es who receive health insurance coverage through the Kentucky 26
Employees Health Plan (KEHP), for plan years 2027 and 2028. 27
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(2) The Personnel Cabinet shall: 1
(a) Provide a process by which a KEHP plan participant can verify proof of their 2
purchase of a CSA product or contract; 3
(b) Determine a reward value or values in the KEHP wellness program for the 4
participant's purchase of a CSA product or contract; 5
(c) Develop a process to evaluate the participation rate of KEHP members 6
claiming wellness program rewards for CSA purchases; and 7
(d) Work collaboratively with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to market 8
and provide information on CSA programs, including but not limited to preparing 9
information for distribution to plan participants and attending KEHP wellness fairs. 10
(3) The Personnel Cabinet may: 11
(a) Implement the wellness rewards program option required in this section 12
through a third-party administrator; and 13
(b) Consult with the third -party administrator or the Kentucky Department of 14
Agriculture to implement provisions of this section. 15
(4) The Personnel Cabinet shall implement this section for the wellness rewards 16
program in the KEHP 2027 plan year. 17
Section 4. By July 1, 2028, for plan year 2027, and by July 1, 2029, for plan 18
year 2028, the Personnel Cabinet shall, in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of 19
Agriculture, submit a report to the Interim Joint Committees on State Government and 20
Appropriations and Revenue that includes but is not limited to: 21
(1) The total number of participants who submitted a CSA purchase for wellness 22
rewards points; 23
(2) The number of participants who are, or self -identify, as first -time purchasers 24
of a CSA product or contract as reported through survey responses; 25
(3) The number of participants who self -report dietary behavior changes as 26
reported through survey responses; 27
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(4) The satisfaction level of participants who purchased a CSA product or 1
contract, including whether the participant would purchase a CSA product or contract in 2
the future, as reported through survey responses; 3
(5) Any data useful in determining potential reductions in KEHP healthcare costs; 4
and 5
(6) Options that would encourage the use of CSA purchases by KEHP 6
participants that align with improving health outcome s, reducing healthcare costs, and 7
providing more market viability for Kentucky farmers. 8