INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Braun today signed a landmark package of executive orders with initiatives to improve Indiana’s health and well-being. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz were in attendance to support Indiana’s initiative.
Governor Braun released the following statement with the executive orders:
“Today, we’re taking bold action to Make Indiana Healthy Again and help Hoosiers live healthier lives.
“This isn’t the usual top-down, one-size-fits-all public health agenda: We’re focused on root causes, giving Hoosiers the transparent information to make decisions affecting their health, making it easier to access to fresh local food from Indiana’s incredible farms, and taking on the problems in government programs that are contributing to making our communities less healthy.
“We’re taking on big issues like preventative measures for diet-related chronic illnesses, addressing harmful additives in our food, encouraging fitness and health in schools through two new initiatives, and making big changes to food stamps to put the focus back on nutrition – not candy and soft drinks.”
“We’re also focused on the health of Indiana’s biggest budget line item and biggest health program – Medicaid – by making sure that enrollees don’t exceed the income requirements for the program.
“Today’s nine executive orders reflect a new approach to health policy in the state of Indiana focused on empowering everyone to live healthier, longer lives. Let’s Make Indiana Healthy Again!”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, attended the event in support of Indiana’s initiative.
“Thank you, Governor Braun, for your courageous and visionary leadership to Make Indiana Healthy Again,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “I urge every governor across America to follow your lead by signing similar executive orders in their states to improve nutrition standards in SNAP, increase transparency around food dyes and additives, implement physical fitness tests in schools, expand farm-to-school programs, and embrace the full scope of your transformative health agenda. Together, we can Make America Healthy Again.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Medicare and Medicaid Administrator, also attended the event in support.
“We’re delighted to work with our state and local partners—who are critical to advancing the Make America Healthy Again agenda,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Oz. “By prioritizing prevention, proper nutrition, and healthy lifestyle choices, we can set our younger generations up for a lifetime of success.”
The first executive order overhauls work requirements for SNAP, so able-bodied SNAP recipients who are not working can be put on the path to filling one of Indiana’s 100,000+ open jobs that require no prior experience or a college degree.
The second cuts down on fraud and abuse of the SNAP program by reinstating income and asset verification to ensure that this program is being used only by those who really need it.
The third aims to change federal rules so states are incentivized to operate high-quality, entrepreneurial SNAP programs that put enrollees on a meaningful path to self-sufficiency.
The fourth executive order removes candy and soft drinks from SNAP benefits so that taxpayer funds are helping low income Americans afford nutritious food, not junk. The Governor’s office has been working with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and will be filing this waiver today. Indiana is among the first to take up HHS Secretary Kennedy’s call for states to file such waivers with this administration.
The fifth addresses Hoosier parents’ concerns with the possible negative effects of food dyes and increasing food transparency. We should know exactly what ingredients are in our food so we can opt for choices with fewer artificial ingredients.
The sixth kicks off a comprehensive study of diet-related chronic illness with a goal of empowering Hoosiers to address the root causes of chronic illness through preventative, evidence-based interventions such as nutrition, physical activity, early screening, and disease management.
The seventh aims to increase access to direct-to-consumer food from local Indiana farms.
The eighth establishes the Governor’s Fitness Test and School Fitness Month to encourage Indiana’s schools to give Hoosier kids every advantage possible to reach their full potential and lead healthy lives.
And the final aims to cut down on eligibility errors in the Medicaid program, after it was found that 28% of Indiana’s Medicaid spending – our largest budget line item – was improper spending, mostly due to eligibility errors. CMS Administrator Oz has been a leader on cracking down on abuse of the Medicaid presumptive eligibility process, and Indiana is following his lead.
Senate Bill 2 will follow these executive orders to the Governor’s desk this week, which includes work requirements for the Healthy Indiana Plan. The Governor’s office collaborated with the General Assembly on making these reforms to fix Medicaid.
Executive Order 25-52: Promoting Long-Term Growth and Flourishing for Hoosiers on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by Workforce Encouragement
Indiana seeks to help our neighbors who have fallen on hard times with their pressing needs, while also encouraging and investing in their long term self-sufficiency so that they can thrive and benefit our communities.
Two-thirds of able-bodied SNAP recipients are not working, many due to an exemption for those with dependent children in the home or are between the ages of 55-59.
Indiana currently has 138,000 open jobs — the vast majority of them require no prior experience, and 3/4 of them don’t require a college degree.
Under this executive order, the FSSA will overhaul its underutilized Employment and Training program to assign all non-exempt SNAP recipients to work requirements.
Executive Order 25-53: Increasing State Accountability Through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Asset Verification
Indiana’s SNAP program had an improper payment rate of 10.46% in FY 2023, driven in part by insufficient verification of income eligibility.
To protect taxpayer money and safeguard this program for Hoosiers that really need it, we need to fix this issue.
