Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06857 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6857
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6857
8	6		January Session, 2023
	7	+	LCO No. 5125
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	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
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	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
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14	19		AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FOOD
15	20		AS MEDICINE WORKING GROUP.
16	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
17	22		Assembly convened:
18	23
19		-	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section 1
20		-	and section 2 of this act, (1) "certified dietitian-nutritionist" means a 2
21		-	dietitian-nutritionist certified pursuant to section 20-206n of the 3
22		-	general statutes, (2) "certain health conditions" means conditions 4
23		-	including, but not limited to, prediabetes, gestational diabetes and 5
24		-	types 1 and 2 diabetes, heart disease, including hypertension, 6
25		-	hypercholesterol, dyslipidemia and congestive heart failure, food 7
26		-	allergies, celiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal 8
27		-	disease and obesity, (3) "health care provider" means a physician, 9
28		-	physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, certified 10
29		-	dietitian-nutritionist or certified diabetes educator, and (4) "produce 11
30		-	prescription" means a prescription for fruits and vegetables without 12
31		-	added salt, sugar or fat given to a Medicaid enrollee with certain 13
32		-	health conditions by a health care provider. 14
33		-	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall apply for a Medicaid 15
	24	+	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section and 1
	25	+	section 2 of this act, (1) "certified dietitian-nutritionist" means a dietitian-2
	26	+	nutritionist certified pursuant to section 20-206n of the general statutes, 3
	27	+	(2) "certain health conditions" means conditions including, but not 4
	28	+	limited to, prediabetes, gestational diabetes and types 1 and 2 diabetes, 5
	29	+	heart disease, including hypertension, hypercholesterol, dyslipidemia 6
	30	+	and congestive heart failure, food allergies, celiac disease, chronic 7
	31	+	obstructive pulmonary disease, renal disease and obesity, (3) "health 8
	32	+	care provider" means a physician, physician's assistant, advanced 9
	33	+	practice registered nurse, certified dietitian-nutritionist or certified 10
	34	+	diabetes educator, and (4) "produce prescription" means a prescription 11
	35	+	for fruits and vegetables without added salt, sugar or fat given to a 12
	36	+	Medicaid enrollee with certain health conditions by a health care 13
	37	+	provider. 14
	38	+	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall apply for a Medicaid 15 Raised Bill No. 6857
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	41	+
	42	+	LCO No. 5125 2 of 4
	43	+
34	44		waiver under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act for a three-year 16
35	45		pilot program to provide Medicaid coverage for produce prescriptions 17
36	46		for a Medicaid enrollee with certain health conditions. The 18
37		-	commissioner may provide such enrollee with vouchers or an 19 Substitute Bill No. 6857
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44		-	electronic debit card restricted to purchases of prescribed produce. 20
	47	+	commissioner may provide such enrollee with vouchers or an electronic 19
	48	+	debit card restricted to purchases of prescribed produce. 20
45	49		(c) Not later than January 15, 2024, January 15, 2025, and January 15, 21
46	50		2026, the commissioner shall file reports, in accordance with the 22
47	51		provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint 23
48	52		standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 24
49	53		matters relating to human services on (1) the number of Medicaid 25
50	54		enrollees who have received produce prescriptions, (2) data regarding 26
51		-	the effect produce prescriptions have on their health, including, but 27
52		-	not limited to, indicators such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure 28
53		-	and serum lipids, (3) the effect of produce prescriptions on ranges of 29
54		-	food insecurity, as measured by the United States Department of 30
55		-	Agriculture, and (4) the cost to the state to provide Medicaid 31
56		-	reimbursement for such prescriptions compared to any savings 32
57		-	generated by improved health outcomes for such enrollees. The 33
58		-	commissioner shall share aggregate data on food insecurity among 34
59		-	pilot program participants with organizations that track data on food 35
60		-	insecurity and connect food insecure persons with nutritional 36
61		-	assistance. 37
62		-	Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, (1) 38
63		-	"medically tailored meals" means a meal plan consisting of five to 39
64		-	twenty-one meals per week tailored by a certified dietitian-nutritionist, 40
65		-	or other qualified nutrition professional as determined by the 41
66		-	Commissioner of Social Services, to help treat certain health conditions 42
67		-	of Medicaid enrollees, and (2) "medically tailored food" means 43
68		-	partially prepared or nonprepared food items, or both, sufficient to 44
69		-	prepare not more than fourteen meals per week selected by a certified 45
70		-	dietitian-nutritionist, or other qualified nutrition professional as 46
71		-	determined by the commissioner, as part of a treatment plan for a 47
72		-	Medicaid enrollee with certain health conditions. 48
73		-	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall convene a working 49
74		-	group not later than August 1, 2023, to develop recommendations to 50
75		-	improve health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees with certain health 51
76		-	conditions by treating food as medicine. The working group's study 52 Substitute Bill No. 6857
	55	+	the effect produce prescriptions have on their health, including, but not 27
	56	+	limited to, indicators such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure and 28
	57	+	serum lipids, (3) the effect on ranges of food insecurity, as measured by 29
	58	+	the United States Department of Agriculture, and (4) the cost to the state 30
	59	+	to provide Medicaid reimbursement for such prescriptions compared to 31
	60	+	any savings generated by improved health outcomes for such enrollees. 32
	61	+	The commissioner shall share aggregate data on food insecurity among 33
	62	+	pilot program participants with organizations that track data on food 34
	63	+	insecurity and connect food insecure persons with nutritional 35
	64	+	assistance. 36
	65	+	Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, (1) "medically 37
	66	+	tailored meals" means a meal plan consisting of five to twenty-one meals 38
	67	+	per week tailored by a certified dietitian-nutritionist, or other qualified 39
	68	+	nutrition professional as determined by the Commissioner of Social 40
	69	+	Services, to help treat certain health conditions of Medicaid enrollees, 41
	70	+	and (2) "medically tailored food" means partially prepared or 42
	71	+	nonprepared food items, or both, sufficient to prepare not more than 43
	72	+	fourteen meals per week selected by a certified dietitian-nutritionist, or 44
	73	+	other qualified nutrition professional as determined by the 45
	74	+	commissioner, as part of a treatment plan for a Medicaid enrollee with 46
	75	+	certain health conditions. 47
	76	+	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall convene a working 48 Raised Bill No. 6857
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83		-	shall include, but not be limited to, best practices for integrating 53
84		-	medically tailored meals and medically tailored food for Medicaid 54
85		-	enrollees with certain health conditions into the state's medical 55
86		-	assistance program. 56
87		-	(c) The working group shall consist of (1) the Commissioner of 57
88		-	Social Services, or the commissioner's designee; (2) the Commissioner 58
89		-	of Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee; (3) a representative of 59
90		-	the elderly nutrition program administered by the Department of 60
91		-	Aging and Disability Services, appointed by the Commissioner of 61
92		-	Aging and Disability Services; (4) a certified dietitian-nutritionist with 62
93		-	experience in planning medically tailored meals or medically tailored 63
94		-	foods for persons with certain health conditions, appointed by the 64
95		-	Commissioner of Social Services; (5) an academic professional, who 65
96		-	has researched the link between nutrition and certain health 66
97		-	conditions, appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services; (6) two 67
98		-	Medicaid enrollees with certain health conditions, appointed by the 68
99		-	Commissioner of Social Services; (7) one person appointed by the 69
100		-	House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General 70
101		-	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services; 71
102		-	and (8) one person appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint 72
103		-	standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 73
104		-	matters relating to human services. 74
105		-	(d) The chairpersons of the working group shall be chosen by 75
106		-	members of the working group. The working group shall meet not less 76
107		-	than monthly and shall provide a report with recommendations to the 77
108		-	Commissioner of Social Services not later than January 1, 2024. The 78
109		-	working group shall terminate on the date that it submits such report 79
110		-	or January 1, 2024, whichever is later. 80
	80	+	LCO No. 5125 3 of 4
	81	+
	82	+	group not later than August 1, 2023, to develop recommendations to 49
	83	+	improve health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees with certain health 50
	84	+	conditions by treating food as medicine. The working group's study 51
	85	+	shall include, but not be limited to, best practices for integrating 52
	86	+	medically tailored meals and medically tailored food for Medicaid 53
	87	+	enrollees with certain health conditions into the state's medical 54
	88	+	assistance program. 55
	89	+	(c) The working group shall consist of (1) the Commissioner of Social 56
	90	+	Services, or the commissioner's designee; (2) the Commissioner of 57
	91	+	Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee; (3) a representative of the 58
	92	+	elderly nutrition program administered by the Department of Aging 59
	93	+	and Disability Services, appointed by the Commissioner of Aging and 60
	94	+	Disability Services; (4) a certified dietitian-nutritionist with experience 61
	95	+	in planning medically tailored meals or medically tailored foods for 62
	96	+	persons with certain health conditions, appointed by the Commissioner 63
	97	+	of Social Services; (5) an academic professional, who has researched the 64
	98	+	link between nutrition and certain health conditions, appointed by the 65
	99	+	Commissioner of Social Services; (6) two Medicaid enrollees with 66
	100	+	certain health conditions, appointed by the Commissioner of Social 67
	101	+	Services; (7) one person appointed by the House chairperson of the joint 68
	102	+	standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 69
	103	+	matters relating to human services; and (8) one person appointed by the 70
	104	+	Senate chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General 71
	105	+	Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services. 72
	106	+	(d) The chairpersons of the working group shall be chosen by 73
	107	+	members of the working group. The working group shall meet not less 74
	108	+	than monthly and shall provide recommendations to the Commissioner 75
	109	+	of Social Services not later than January 1, 2024. The working group shall 76
	110	+	terminate on the date that it submits such report or January 1, 2024, 77
	111	+	whichever is later. 78
	112	+	Sec. 3. Section 17b-28e of the general statutes is amended by adding 79
	113	+	subsection (f) as follows (Effective from passage): 80 Raised Bill No. 6857
	114	+
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	116	+
	117	+	LCO No. 5125 4 of 4
	118	+
	119	+	(NEW) (f) Not later than October 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Social 81
	120	+	Services shall amend the Medicaid state plan to add reimbursement for 82
	121	+	medical nutrition therapy provided by a dietitian-nutritionist certified 83
	122	+	pursuant to section 20-206n to a Medicaid enrollee with certain health 84
	123	+	conditions. For purposes of this subsection, "certain health conditions" 85
	124	+	has the same meaning as provided in section 1 of this act and "medical 86
	125	+	nutrition therapy" means an evidence-based, individualized nutrition 87
	126	+	plan designed to help treat certain health conditions. 88
111	127		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
112	128		sections:
113	129
114	130		Section 1 from passage New section
115		-	Sec. 2 from passage New section Substitute Bill No. 6857
	131	+	Sec. 2 from passage New section
	132	+	Sec. 3 from passage 17b-28e(f)
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123		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP
	134	+	Statement of Purpose:
	135	+	To establish (1) a pilot program to provide Medicaid funding for
	136	+	produce prescriptions for Medicaid enrollees with certain health
	137	+	conditions, (2) a working group to develop additional
	138	+	recommendations, including for providing medically tailored meals for
	139	+	such persons, and (3) Medicaid reimbursement for certified dietitian-
	140	+	nutritionists who provide medical nutrition therapy.
	141	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	142	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	143	+	underlined.]
124	144