Medicaid news from every state
Medicaid reporting from more than 400 local newsrooms, public radio stations, advocates, attorneys general and state agencies, sorted into one feed per state and updated every four hours.
Medicaid stories from local newsrooms in every state, updated every four hours.
Latest from every state, page 8
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2AR
AACF Submits Comments Opposing 2030 Census Rule Changes
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) submitted public comments to the U.S. Census Bureau opposing proposed changes to 2030 Census operations. AACF argues an accurate census count is essential because census data drives federal funding distribution for programs including CHIP, informs local infrastructure planning, and helps nonprofits assess community needs. The group cites Arkansas's 2020 census undercount, the worst in the nation, which it estimates cost the state $5 billion in federal funds over the decade. AACF says it is concerned the proposed Census Bureau changes could worsen undercounts and distort understanding of state communities.
Why it mattersInaccurate census counts directly reduce federal funding formulas tied to population data, including funding streams that support CHIP and other children's programs in Arkansas.
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2MN
Census 2025 ACS Shows Uninsurance Rising, Cautions on Data Comparisons
In a SHADAC blog analysis, the organization reports that the Census Bureau's 2025 American Community Survey, released October 29, 2026, shows a statistically significant 0.4 percentage point rise in nonelderly uninsurance, from 9.8% to 10.2%, with 23 states seeing significant increases and only Connecticut and New York seeing declines. The Bureau redesigned the ACS health insurance question and data processing in 2025 to curb Medicaid under-reporting, direct-purchase over-reporting, and erroneous multiple-coverage counts, and it now warns against comparing 2025 estimates to prior years. SHADAC says it tested uninsurance and employer-sponsored coverage changes but withheld testing for Medicaid and direct-purchase coverage because the redesign itself likely drove apparent declines in those categories, including a near-universal drop in Medicaid coverage across 45 states that may reflect methodology changes rather than real unwinding-driven losses. The 2025 data will serve as a new baseline for measuring 2026 marketplace subsidy expiration and 2027 Medicaid and marketplace provisions under H.R. 1.
Why it mattersState Medicaid agencies and policy analysts relying on ACS trends to track coverage losses from unwinding or upcoming federal policy changes must treat 2025 Medicaid enrollment figures as methodologically incomparable to prior years, not as evidence of actual disenrollment trends.
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2AL
Alabama Arise Profiles Man Losing Medicaid After Son Turns 19
In a personal narrative published by Alabama Arise, the advocacy group recounts how Jeff Mooneyham, a former nurse practitioner in Crossville, Alabama, lost his Medicaid coverage on Oct. 31 after his adopted son turned 19 and aged off the program. Jeff lives with heart failure, diabetes and persistent mental illness, cannot work, and has a disability application pending; without Medicaid he cannot afford insulin, heart medications or psychiatric care. Alabama has not expanded Medicaid, leaving adults like Jeff who do not qualify under existing categories and cannot afford Marketplace premiums in a coverage gap. The piece uses Jeff's story to illustrate the human stakes of Alabama's non-expansion policy and the fragile eligibility pathways tied to dependents' ages.
Why it mattersAlabama Medicaid stakeholders and advocates face continued evidence that non-expansion leaves low-income, disabled adults without a coverage pathway when family-based eligibility lapses.
- Published Nov 2CA
CalMHSA Hosts Fiscal Workshops for Medi-Cal SUD Providers
Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan is notifying its network that CalMHSA will host regional workshops for Substance Use Disorder treatment providers on Medi-Cal claim and reimbursement practices, payment reform, reducing claim denials, fiscal compliance, and long-term program sustainability. Sessions are scheduled in Sacramento on November 16, 2026, Redding on November 17, 2026, and Ventura on December 8, 2026, with registration available via Eventbrite. The notice targets behavioral health and SUD providers in the health plan's network and encourages early registration due to limited space. The workshops aim to help providers strengthen fiscal operations tied to Medi-Cal reimbursement.
Why it mattersSUD providers that attend gain practical tools to reduce claim denials and improve Medi-Cal reimbursement compliance, directly affecting their financial sustainability under managed care contracts.
- Published Nov 2NC
NC Official Says 10,500 Noncitizens Lost Medicaid Under Federal Law
At an Oct. 28 joint meeting of North Carolina's public health commission and the NC Medical Society, State Health Director Dr. Lawrence Greenblatt said about 10,500 people have lost Medicaid coverage since new federal eligibility restrictions for noncitizens took effect Oct. 1. He attributed the change to HR 1, the federal budget law enacted in July 2025, which also requires twice-yearly eligibility redeterminations for certain populations. Greenblatt did not specify the immigration categories of those who lost coverage, though NC Medicaid guidance lists groups that remain eligible, including qualifying lawful permanent residents and certain lawfully residing children and pregnant women. He also projected roughly $50 billion in Medicaid cuts to North Carolina over the next decade under the same law, and noted the state's $213 million first-year award under the law's rural health funding program, calling it insufficient to offset the Medicaid losses.
Why it mattersState Medicaid agencies and providers face immediate enrollment drops and administrative burden from new noncitizen eligibility restrictions and more frequent redeterminations now in effect.
- Published Nov 2CA
HPSJ/Mountain Valley Offers IP-CANS Certification Trainings This Fall
Health Plan of San Joaquin/Mountain Valley Health Plan notified providers of two-day virtual IP-CANS certification workshops in November and December 2026, aligned with California's All County Letter (ACL) 25-54. The training prepares practitioners and behavioral health providers to administer the Integrated Practice Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths tool for Child Welfare youth, covering indicators, action levels, and integrating ratings into practice. Certification is required for anyone completing IP-CANS assessments on behalf of a placing agency serving children and youth in the child welfare system. Sessions run via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT on November 11-12 and December 2-3, 2026, with registration required at least two weeks in advance.
Why it mattersMedi-Cal behavioral health providers serving child welfare-involved youth must obtain this certification to remain compliant with California's assessment requirements under ACL 25-54.
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 2
- Published Nov 1MD
Maryland Court Bars Tobacco Firms From Offsetting Settlement Payments
The Circuit Court for Baltimore City ruled that tobacco companies, including Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds, cannot reduce their annual Master Settlement Agreement payments to Maryland to cover any damages they might owe Baltimore City in a separate environmental lawsuit over discarded cigarette filters. Maryland's Office of the Attorney General intervened to argue the 1998 settlement, which resolved states' Medicaid claims for smoking-related disease costs, does not cover environmental damage claims. The court agreed, finding the agreement is limited to youth smoking and public health harms, and granted summary judgment for the state. The ruling, described as the first in the nation on this issue, protects Maryland's annual settlement revenue and lets Baltimore City's lawsuit proceed.
Why it mattersThe ruling preserves a dedicated funding stream states rely on to cover Medicaid and public health costs tied to smoking-related disease, preventing tobacco companies from diverting those payments to cover unrelated local liabilities.
- Published Nov 1FL
Older Voters Cite Health Costs, Coverage as Top Election Concerns
A news report surveys older Americans' top healthcare worries ahead of Election Day, finding rising out-of-pocket costs and potential coverage changes dominate their concerns. The piece outlines voter sentiment among seniors without detailing a specific federal or state policy action. It frames healthcare affordability as a motivating issue for this voting bloc as the election approaches. No specific Medicaid, Medicare, or legislative proposal is named in the reporting.
Why it mattersFor Medicaid stakeholders, sustained voter anxiety over healthcare costs among older adults, many of whom are dual eligibles or rely on Medicaid long-term care coverage, signals continued political pressure on benefit and eligibility policy.
- Published Nov 1NM
New Mexico Candidates, Lawmakers Eye Medicaid Cuts Ahead of 2027 Session
Ahead of New Mexico's Nov. 3 election, gubernatorial candidates Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull and legislative leaders have converged on healthcare access and affordability as a top priority, including provider shortages, rural hospital viability, and reimbursement rates. Haaland's platform specifically highlights protecting residents from federal Medicaid cuts; the state Health Care Authority estimates roughly 89,000 New Mexicans will lose Medicaid coverage due to recent federal policy changes. Legislative leaders from both parties say the 2027 session will focus on provider recruitment incentives, interstate licensing compacts, and finding ways to backfill Medicaid funding losses and subsidize rural providers. House Democrats separately unveiled a medical debt relief proposal.
Why it mattersState Medicaid agency administrators and rural providers face a looming coverage-loss crisis that will shape New Mexico's budget and legislative agenda for at least the next two sessions.
- Published Nov 1