Braun Signs Nine Executive Orders Aimed at Making Indiana Healthier

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INDIANAPOLIS - Governor Mike Braun today signed a package of executive orders aimed to improve Indiana's health and well-being. 

With Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz in attendance, Gov. Braun signed nine 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.” said Braun.

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.

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.”