This bill, General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6857, implements the recommendations of the Food as Medicine Working Group. It establishes a three-year pilot program to provide Medicaid coverage for produce prescriptions for Medicaid enrollees with certain health conditions. The Commissioner of Social Services will apply for a Medicaid waiver to provide enrollees with vouchers or an electronic debit card restricted to purchases of prescribed produce. The commissioner is also required to file reports on the program's impact on enrollees' health and food insecurity, as well as the cost to the state.

Additionally, the bill requires the Commissioner of Social Services to convene a working group to develop recommendations for improving health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees with certain health conditions by treating food as medicine. The working group will consist of various stakeholders, including the commissioners of Social Services and Agriculture, a representative of the elderly nutrition program, and experts in nutrition and certain health conditions. The working group will meet regularly and provide a report with recommendations to the Commissioner of Social Services by January 1, 2024.

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