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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6857
January Session, 2023
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FOOD
AS MEDICINE WORKING GROUP.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section 1
and section 2 of this act, (1) "certified dietitian-nutritionist" means a 2
dietitian-nutritionist certified pursuant to section 20-206n of the 3
general statutes, (2) "certain health conditions" means conditions 4
including, but not limited to, prediabetes, gestational diabetes and 5
types 1 and 2 diabetes, heart disease, including hypertension, 6
hypercholesterol, dyslipidemia and congestive heart failure, food 7
allergies, celiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal 8
disease and obesity, (3) "health care provider" means a physician, 9
physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, certified 10
dietitian-nutritionist or certified diabetes educator, and (4) "produce 11
prescription" means a prescription for fruits and vegetables without 12
added salt, sugar or fat given to a Medicaid enrollee with certain 13
health conditions by a health care provider. 14
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall apply for a Medicaid 15
waiver under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act for a three-year 16
pilot program to provide Medicaid coverage for produce prescriptions 17
for a Medicaid enrollee with certain health conditions. The 18
commissioner may provide such enrollee with vouchers or an 19 Substitute Bill No. 6857
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electronic debit card restricted to purchases of prescribed produce. 20
(c) Not later than January 15, 2024, January 15, 2025, and January 15, 21
2026, the commissioner shall file reports, in accordance with the 22
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint 23
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 24
matters relating to human services on (1) the number of Medicaid 25
enrollees who have received produce prescriptions, (2) data regarding 26
the effect produce prescriptions have on their health, including, but 27
not limited to, indicators such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure 28
and serum lipids, (3) the effect of produce prescriptions on ranges of 29
food insecurity, as measured by the United States Department of 30
Agriculture, and (4) the cost to the state to provide Medicaid 31
reimbursement for such prescriptions compared to any savings 32
generated by improved health outcomes for such enrollees. The 33
commissioner shall share aggregate data on food insecurity among 34
pilot program participants with organizations that track data on food 35
insecurity and connect food insecure persons with nutritional 36
assistance. 37
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, (1) 38
"medically tailored meals" means a meal plan consisting of five to 39
twenty-one meals per week tailored by a certified dietitian-nutritionist, 40
or other qualified nutrition professional as determined by the 41
Commissioner of Social Services, to help treat certain health conditions 42
of Medicaid enrollees, and (2) "medically tailored food" means 43
partially prepared or nonprepared food items, or both, sufficient to 44
prepare not more than fourteen meals per week selected by a certified 45
dietitian-nutritionist, or other qualified nutrition professional as 46
determined by the commissioner, as part of a treatment plan for a 47
Medicaid enrollee with certain health conditions. 48
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall convene a working 49
group not later than August 1, 2023, to develop recommendations to 50
improve health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees with certain health 51
conditions by treating food as medicine. The working group's study 52 Substitute Bill No. 6857
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shall include, but not be limited to, best practices for integrating 53
medically tailored meals and medically tailored food for Medicaid 54
enrollees with certain health conditions into the state's medical 55
assistance program. 56
(c) The working group shall consist of (1) the Commissioner of 57
Social Services, or the commissioner's designee; (2) the Commissioner 58
of Agriculture, or the commissioner's designee; (3) a representative of 59
the elderly nutrition program administered by the Department of 60
Aging and Disability Services, appointed by the Commissioner of 61
Aging and Disability Services; (4) a certified dietitian-nutritionist with 62
experience in planning medically tailored meals or medically tailored 63
foods for persons with certain health conditions, appointed by the 64
Commissioner of Social Services; (5) an academic professional, who 65
has researched the link between nutrition and certain health 66
conditions, appointed by the Commissioner of Social Services; (6) two 67
Medicaid enrollees with certain health conditions, appointed by the 68
Commissioner of Social Services; (7) one person appointed by the 69
House chairperson of the joint standing committee of the General 70
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services; 71
and (8) one person appointed by the Senate chairperson of the joint 72
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 73
matters relating to human services. 74
(d) The chairpersons of the working group shall be chosen by 75
members of the working group. The working group shall meet not less 76
than monthly and shall provide a report with recommendations to the 77
Commissioner of Social Services not later than January 1, 2024. The 78
working group shall terminate on the date that it submits such report 79
or January 1, 2024, whichever is later. 80
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section Substitute Bill No. 6857
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HS Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP