HJR 86

UNOFFICIAL COPY  26 RS BR 1591
1A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Personnel Cabinet, in consultation with the
2 Kentucky Department of Agriculture, to integrate community supported agriculture
3 purchases into the wellness rewards programs offered to public employees and retirees
4 who receive health insurance coverage through the Kentucky Employees Health Plan.
5WHEREAS, the Kentucky Employees Health Plan (KEHP) expends $2 billion
6 annually to provide health benefits to nearly 300,000 current and former public
7 employees and dependents; and
8WHEREAS, KEHP has an established wellness rewards program that provides plan
9 members with incentives for intentional practices, habits, and initiatives that lead to
10 improved health outcomes and help reduce overall healthcare costs; and
11WHEREAS, community supported agriculture (CSA) is a growing sector of
12 Kentucky's agricultural economy that allows farmers to offer shares of their seasonal
13 harvest directly to the public, providing farmers with predictable income and improved
14 farm viability, thereby leading to strengthened food systems and stronger rural
15 economies; and
16WHEREAS, CSA programs improve public access to fresh, nutrient-dense foods
17 aligned with the dietary guidelines for Americans, support improved eating habits and
18 nutrition, help prevent chronic disease, and can reduce overall healthcare costs; and
19WHEREAS, researchers examining the University of Kentucky's long-standing
20 CSA program reported improved dietary habits, reduced doctor's office and clinic visits,
21 and initial savings of $2.47 in medical expenditures for every $1 spent on the program;
22 and
23WHEREAS, providing additional incentives to KEHP participants to consume
24 healthier, more nutrient-dense foods through CSA programs is an important first step to
25 improving the health of our state's workforce, a tool for supporting and growing
26 Kentucky's farm families and agricultural economy, and a pathway to reducing healthcare
27 costs for governmental employers across the Commonwealth;
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 UNOFFICIAL COPY  26 RS BR 1591
1NOW, THEREFORE,
2 Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
3Section 1.  The Personnel Cabinet is hereby directed, in consultation with the
4 Kentucky Department of Agriculture, to integrate CSA purchases into the wellness
5 rewards programs offered to public employees and retirees who receive health insurance
6 coverage through the Kentucky Employees Health Plan (KEHP).
7(1)     The Personnel Cabinet shall:
8(a)       Provide a process by which a KEHP plan participant can verify proof of
9 their purchase of a CSA product or contract;
10(b)       Determine a reward value or values in the KEHP wellness program for
11 the participant's purchase of a CSA product or contract;
12(c)       Develop a process to evaluate the participation rate of KEHP members
13 claiming wellness program rewards for CSA purchases; and
14(d)       Work collaboratively with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to
15 market and provide information on CSA programs, including but not limited to preparing
16 information for distribution to plan participants and attending KEHP wellness fairs.
17(2)     The Personnel Cabinet may:
18(a)       Implement the rewards program option provided in this section through
19 a third-party administrator; and
20(b)       Consult with the third-party administrator or the Kentucky Department
21 of Agriculture to implement provisions of this section.
22(3)     The Personnel Cabinet shall implement this section for the wellness rewards
23 program in the 2027 KEHP plan year.
24Section 2.  By July 1, 2028, for health plan year 2027 and July 1, 2029, for
25 health plan year 2028, the Personnel Cabinet shall, in collaboration with the Kentucky
26 Department of Agriculture, submit a report to the Interim Joint Committees on State
27 Government and Appropriations and Revenue that includes but is not limited to:
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1(1)     The total number of participants who submitted a CSA purchase for wellness
2 points;
3(2)     The number of participants who are, or self-identify, as first-time purchasers
4 of a CSA product or contract as reported through survey responses;
5(3)     The number of participants who self-report dietary behavior changes as
6 reported through survey responses;
7(4)     The satisfaction level of participants who purchased a CSA product or
8 contract, including whether the participant would purchase a CSA product or contract in
9 the future, as reported through survey responses;
10(5)     Any data useful in determining potential reductions in KEHP healthcare costs;
11 and
12(6)     Options that would encourage the use of CSAs by KEHP participants that
13 align with improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and providing more
14 market viability for Kentucky farmers.
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