State Policy
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- State Policy · CT
Trinity College Study Finds Cost Delays Abortion Access in Connecticut
Trinity College researchers, partnering with the REACH Fund of Connecticut, surveyed 969 people and found more than 80% delayed abortion care due to cost, including 83% of Medicaid patients and 76% of people with private insurance. Uninsured respondents almost universally reported delays for financial reasons, with some waits stretching a month or longer, raising procedure costs as delays push patients past the window for medication abortion. Though Connecticut Medicaid covers abortion services at in-state clinics, advocates note patients still face out-of-pocket costs for telehealth, travel, childcare and lost wages. The study calls for expanded funding for abortion access and related logistical costs, and advocates warn that more than 100,000 Connecticut residents could lose Medicaid coverage under new federal work requirements, compounding financial barriers to care.
- State Policy · MO
New Owners End Labor and Delivery at Missouri's Fitzgibbon Hospital
Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, Missouri, ended labor and delivery services just nine days after new owners Strawberry Fields REIT and operator American Medical Administrators completed their purchase of the bankrupt hospital in early September. The hospital, renamed Missouri Valley Regional Medical Center, delivered 252 babies in 2025 and was one of few options for pregnant patients north of Interstate 70 in central Missouri. Patients will now travel 30 minutes to over an hour to Bothwell Regional Health Center or Western Missouri Medical Center to deliver, while prenatal and postpartum care continues locally through Marshall Women's Care. Fitzgibbon had sued the buyers to force the sale through after it missed its deadline, alleging the new owners planned to cut services despite earlier commitments to preserve care; the new operator says the hospital's finances made maintaining obstetric staffing unsustainable at under one birth per day.
- State Policy · CA
California Funds First Pharmacist Pipeline Program at UC San Diego
California has allocated $3.6 million to launch PRIME Rx at UC San Diego's Skaggs School of Pharmacy, the first PRIME program housed at a pharmacy school. The program will fund scholarships for roughly 10 PharmD students per year over the four-year degree, with clinical training in community-based settings aimed at underserved areas including the U.S.-Mexico border region. The one-time funding is expected to sustain the program for three years while the school seeks permanent state support. UC San Diego is also partnering with Southwestern College on a separately funded pharmacy technician associate degree program to address broader workforce shortages.
- State Policy · VT
Hartford School Leaders Argue Vermont Mandates Are Gutting District Budgets
In a VTDigger commentary, Hartford School District superintendent Caty Sutton, the Hartford School Board and district and union leadership argue that state legislative actions are devastating their school system. They cite a legislative reduction of the excess spending threshold from 118% to 115.5% as forcing an almost $5 million budget cut, potentially requiring a 25% staff reduction, alongside unfunded PCB testing mandates, a rushed transition to a new Medicaid reimbursement model, and a mandatory regional service-area realignment. The authors say they received no transition time for the Medicaid billing change and no evidence that these mandates will improve outcomes or save taxpayers money. They call on their legislative delegation to revisit the spending threshold cut, fund PCB remediation, and slow the regional restructuring process.
- State Policy · MI
Michigan's largest hospitals refuse to disclose facility fee revenue
Bridge Michigan asked the state's 10 largest health systems and three rural hospitals how much they collect annually in facility fees and what the money funds; none disclosed dollar amounts, though some described general uses like cybersecurity and emergency staffing. Only one rural hospital, Scheurer Health, shared a figure, expecting roughly $125,000 this year against a $125 million budget. State Rep. Curt VanderWall, who chairs the House Health Policy Committee, has introduced legislation to ban facility fees for routine outpatient care, certain outpatient services, and telemedicine visits, and says the industry's refusal to disclose figures undermines its claim that the fees are essential. Neither the hospital association nor the state currently tracks total facility fee collections statewide.
- State Policy · GA
Bottoms Pushes Medicaid Expansion as GOP Rival Skips Georgia Debate
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms debated an empty podium Monday after GOP nominee Rick Jackson skipped the Atlanta Press Club's Loudermilk-Young debate, the first general-election gubernatorial candidate to do so since 1994. Jackson instead campaigned with Gov. Brian Kemp across the state, citing affordability and property taxes as voter priorities over debate appearances. Bottoms used the forum to promote her platform, including expanding Medicaid, fully funding pre-K, and creating an affordable housing fund, while also criticizing Georgia's six-week abortion ban. Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election begins Tuesday.
- State Policy · WY
Wyoming Task Force Drops BearCare Catastrophic Coverage Plan
In a WyoFile opinion column, Kerry Drake argues that Wyoming's Health Insurance Affordability Task Force should be extended another year after dropping its BearCare catastrophic coverage proposal and a state medical device purchasing plan. Legislative Service Office analysis found BearCare premiums would need to be fairly high to cover the risk pool, undercutting expected cost savings; the task force reached the same negative conclusion on the device purchasing idea. Drake notes the backdrop: over 9,000 Wyoming residents saw record premium spikes after Congress let enhanced ACA tax credits lapse, and some face increases over 400%. The task force is now exploring a health department proposal to designate "core" high-cost services for price regulation via a block grant and a utility-like commission, while leaving other services to market competition; Drake says the idea remains unfinished and raises funding concerns.
- State Policy · CO
Boebert, Laubacher Clash Over Medicaid Cuts, Rural Hospitals in Debate
Rep. Lauren Boebert and Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher held their only debate before the November midterm for Colorado's 4th Congressional District, trading sharp attacks moderated by 9News' Kyle Clark. On health care, Boebert defended her vote for the federal tax and spending bill known as the Working Families Tax Cut, arguing rural hospitals are hurting from state Medicaid cuts rather than federal ones, and pointed to a $50 billion rural hospital fund included in the bill. Laubacher countered that rural hospital CEOs have told her the region's hospitals could disappear within five years without dramatic change. The debate also covered veterans' legislation, foreign policy and personal accusations between the two candidates.
- State Policy · NE
Bethesda Foundation Closes Nebraska Assisted Living Homes, Displacing 93
The Colorado-based Bethesda Foundation closed its Cambridge Court assisted living facility in Kearney, Nebraska, giving its 40 residents, many with Alzheimer's or dementia, just 30 days to find new housing before selling the property to a real estate developer. The foundation is now withdrawing from Nebraska entirely, planning to close its Omaha facility, Hickory Villa, by October 16 and displace roughly 50 more residents. The company cited rising operating costs and economic pressures, including losses it said accrued over five years. Former staff and residents say Nebraska's stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates, combined with limited Medicaid-certified assisted living capacity in areas like Buffalo County, left few alternative placements for low-income seniors who depend on the program for long-term care.
- State Policy · NH
New Hampshire Awaits Federal Rescoring of Rural Health Funds
New Hampshire's GO-NORTH office, which oversees roughly $205 million in annual federal rural health funding, says it is "cautiously optimistic" ahead of CMS's annual rescoring of state performance this September and October. Continued funding depends on CMS's assessment of program authority, satisfactory performance, and compliance with award terms and reporting requirements. Director Donnalee Lozeau points to the state's early "fully obligated" status in June and a supportive May CMS site visit as positive signs, crediting a five-"hub" distribution model covering primary care, behavioral health, capital infrastructure, and workforce development. The program, created by Congress to offset Medicaid and other public health cuts, runs through 2030, and New Hampshire hopes to secure the same funding level each year.
- State Policy · MI
Michigan Lawmakers Push Bill to Restrict Hospital Facility Fees
Bridge Michigan reports that state legislators are advancing bipartisan legislation to limit hospital "facility fees," additional charges added to bills for care delivered at off-site locations, telemedicine visits, and some outpatient hospital services. The bill follows complaints from patients and lawmakers, including Rep. Curt VanderWall, who was charged separately for each vial of blood drawn during a routine test. Hospitals say the fees, often undisclosed and untracked by the state, are needed to stay financially viable, with 33 Michigan hospitals operating at a loss or break-even in 2024 and three subsequently closing. The legislation's prospects and effective date are not specified in the reporting, but it places Michigan among several states, including Ohio and Indiana, considering caps, transparency mandates, or site-neutral payment requirements.
- State Policy · NC
Malveaux Argues NC Should Permanently Fund Social Needs Pilots
In a commentary, economist Julianne Malveaux argues that North Carolina's rural health efforts should extend beyond hospital funding to permanently support programs addressing social determinants of health like food, housing, and transportation. She cites the state's Healthy Opportunities pilot programs, which connect healthcare providers with community organizations and recently resumed operations with new state budget funding, as evidence of what's possible: one western North Carolina pilot tied to food insecurity produced a 67% drop in hospital readmission risk and $164 in monthly Medicaid savings per participant. Malveaux contends state leaders should treat these pilots as permanent infrastructure rather than temporary experiments, particularly given disparities facing rural and Black communities, and should view the Rural Health Transformation Program as a broader opportunity rather than a hospital-only investment.
- State Policy · IN
Indiana Tightens Medicaid Oversight of Autism Therapy Billing
In a commentary piece, the author argues that Indiana's reforms to its Medicaid applied behavioral analysis (ABA) program offer a model for other states combating fraud and improper billing. The piece cites state data showing ABA spending grew from $17 million to $611 million by 2023, and a federal inspector general audit finding improper or potentially improper claims in all 100 sampled enrollee-months, with at least $56 million in improper fee-for-service payments in 2019-2020. Under Gov. Mike Braun, Indiana is requiring ABA provider accreditation by October 2027, imposed a temporary moratorium on new agency enrollments, mandated clinical supervision ratios for behavior technicians, barred telehealth billing for services requiring in-person observation, and restructured fee schedules. The author points to a new CMS ABA toolkit and 421% national growth in ABA spending from 2021 to 2025 as evidence other states should adopt similar safeguards.
- State Policy · LA
Centene Medicaid Plan May Drop Ochsner Network in Louisiana
Louisiana Healthcare Connections, a Centene-managed Medicaid plan, has told Ochsner Health System it may terminate coverage of Ochsner hospitals and clinics after Dec. 1, potentially affecting 70,000 enrollees. The two sides have negotiated a new contract since Louisiana Healthcare Connections first raised the possibility in June but have not reached agreement; Ochsner asked the Louisiana Department of Health to help extend the deadline and ensure payment for services already rendered. State Medicaid director Seth Gold said affected enrollees could switch plans and warned Louisiana Healthcare Connections could face penalties if it cannot show adequate provider access without Ochsner. The plan's $5.8 billion contract extension with the state is scheduled for legislative budget committee review this week.
- State Policy · WA
Poll Shows Tight WA-03 Race Where Voters Cite Healthcare Costs
A poll commissioned by OPB and conducted by DHM Research finds Washington's 3rd Congressional District race between Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and state Sen. John Braun in a statistical dead heat, with 36% of likely voters undecided. Voters surveyed widely cited cost of living, the economy, and healthcare as top concerns, with majorities expressing negative views of both candidates. Gluesenkamp Perez has emphasized her opposition to Congressional Republicans' Medicaid eligibility tightening and the lapse of enhanced ACA subsidies as campaign issues. The race, covering a politically independent-leaning swing district, could help determine control of the U.S. House.
- State Policy · SC
South Carolina Advocates Push Early for Home Visiting Program Renewal
South Carolina advocates and home visitors are campaigning ahead of the 2027 congressional reauthorization deadline for the federal Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, which currently serves about 2,800 new mothers and babies in the state. The program sends trained visitors to pregnant women and new parents through a child's third birthday, helping with prenatal care access, transportation, nutrition, postpartum depression, breastfeeding, safe sleep practices, and developmental screening. South Carolina ranks 43rd for infant mortality and 40th for maternal mortality nationally, with outcomes worse among Black mothers and Medicaid enrollees. Advocates, including the state's home visiting director, say the program has had bipartisan support since 2010 and want funding to continue uninterrupted when it comes up for renewal next fall.
- State Policy · OR
Oregon Delays Oversight of Transgender Health Coverage Mandate
Oregon regulators have quietly paused compliance reviews and a legislative report required under a 2023 law mandating insurer coverage of gender-affirming care, citing fears that collecting detailed carrier, provider and claims data could let the Trump administration target providers and patients. The Department of Consumer and Business Services was due to examine all subject insurers for compliance by January 2027 and report to lawmakers by December 31, but has stepped back from that timeline. Advocacy groups are split: TransActive Gender Project argues the delay lets the law go unevaluated and leaves patients at risk of losing access, while Basic Rights Oregon supports pausing data collection to shield providers and patients from federal targeting. The state has already lost gender-affirming care providers, particularly in rural areas, though officials say they won't know the full scope without the paused data collection.
- State Policy · UT
Utah Expands AI Prescribing Pilot, Adds Fast Track and Audits
Utah's Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy expanded its AI prescribing experiment this month, approving what one company calls the nation's first AI tool authorized to write new prescriptions, creating a fast-track pathway for two Salt Lake City health systems to launch future AI pilots, and adding outside evaluators to verify vendor safety claims. The moves build on a prescription-renewal pilot running since late 2025 with Doctronic, which has moved through phased physician oversight, and a similar pilot for Legion Health's psychiatric medication refills launched in April. Early data showed the AI recommending renewals in 72% of cases with 91% physician agreement, though the state has tightened formularies and liability terms after findings from third-party red-teaming. The Utah Medical Licensing Board has pushed back, demanding a halt over patient-safety concerns, while researchers and the AMA have separately questioned FDA device status and scope-creep risks.
- State Policy · IN
Bayh Cites Medicaid Cuts, Rural OB Access in IN SOS Bid
Indiana Capital Chronicle profiles Beau Bayh, the Democratic candidate for Indiana secretary of state and son of former Sen. Evan Bayh, as he campaigns ahead of the 2026 election. Bayh, an attorney and Marine Corps veteran, says he feels political pressure not to win for his party but because of mothers forced to travel across county or state lines to give birth due to Medicaid cuts tied to tax cuts for wealthier Americans. The profile covers his family legacy, Harvard education, military service, and criticism from Republican opponent Max Engling over his East Coast upbringing and reliance on donors connected to his father. The race centers on the secretary of state office, not Medicaid policy directly, though Bayh invokes Medicaid access as a campaign rationale.
- State Policy · OH
Ohio Senate Candidates Brown, Husted Spar Over Social Security Fixes
In an AARP Ohio voter guide released ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm, Ohio U.S. Senate candidates Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted laid out competing positions on Social Security solvency. Brown, who sponsored the Social Security Fairness Act, proposed raising the payroll tax cap on high earners and opposes privatization; Husted touted a tax deduction for seniors included in the 2025 reconciliation law, which also cut Medicaid and SNAP funding. Experts cited in the piece say Brown's tax-cap proposal would close only half the solvency gap. Social Security's trust fund is projected to become depleted by 2032, triggering a 22% benefit cut affecting over 2 million Ohioans and 700,000 seniors currently kept out of poverty by the program.
