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Wednesday, September 2 · 25 stories
- State Policy · WV
West Virginia SNAP Enrollment Drops 4,000 Children Since Federal Benefit Cuts
West Virginia reports approximately 4,000 fewer children enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as of May 2026, one year after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act took effect in July 2025. The federal law made substantial cuts to nutrition assistance programs. State Department of Human Services data shows the decline in child enrollment following implementation of the federal benefit reductions. The enrollment drop reflects the impact of federal SNAP policy changes on low-income families who often qualify for both SNAP and Medicaid.
- State Policy · VA
Virginia ACA Enrollment Drops 94,000 After Federal Subsidies Expire
Virginia's ACA marketplace enrollment fell from 389,000 in 2025 to 295,000 as of September 2026, a decline attributed largely to expired federal subsidies for individuals between 138% and 250% of the federal poverty level. Virginia lawmakers allocated $150 million in the current state budget to create temporary state-level subsidies that will be available when marketplace enrollment opens in November, potentially saving eligible enrollees about 70% on monthly premiums. The relief is temporary; meanwhile, federal reconciliation legislation will impose Medicaid work requirements affecting over 500,000 Virginia enrollees and reduce immigrant coverage by approximately 5,800 individuals, with hospitals projecting a $31 billion reduction in state Medicaid funding over the next decade.
- State Policy
Life Insurance Cash Value Remains Countable Asset Under State Medicaid Eligibility Rules
Life insurance policies with cash surrender value count as resources under Medicaid eligibility determinations in most states, potentially disqualifying applicants whose other assets fall below resource limits. State Medicaid agencies must assess policy values during initial eligibility screening and ongoing estate recovery processes. The treatment varies by state policy, with some states exempting term policies or policies below certain face value thresholds. This affects long-term care applicants and beneficiaries subject to estate recovery, requiring careful asset verification by eligibility workers and estate recovery contractors.
- Federal Policy
Federal Rural Health Transformation Program Draws Criticism Over Lack of Transparency
The $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, created in summer 2025 as part of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, faces criticism from policy groups for insufficient transparency one year into implementation. CMS will publish only an annual aggregate report, not proactively release individual state reports or funding recipient details, leaving transparency largely to states with widely varying disclosure practices. Multiple states have declined public records requests, held closed meetings, or sought to shield applications from public view. The five-year program was designed to offset anticipated Medicaid spending reductions of over $900 billion that disproportionately affect rural communities.
- State Policy · CO
Colorado Implements 80-Hour Monthly Work Requirement for 377,000 Medicaid Enrollees
Colorado has mailed notices to 377,000 Medicaid enrollees informing them of new work requirements to maintain coverage. Beneficiaries must document at least 80 hours of work per month to remain eligible. The state Medicaid agency is implementing the requirement following federal approval. The policy affects non-elderly, non-disabled adult enrollees and represents one of the largest work requirement implementations since CMS authorized states to pursue such waivers.
- Federal Policy
Federal Medicaid Work Requirements Exempt Indigenous Groups But Not Native Hawaiians
President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act imposes Medicaid work requirements that exempt certain indigenous groups but not Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians will be required to comply with work requirements despite facing documented barriers to employment and healthcare access. The law takes effect as part of broader Medicaid eligibility changes under the legislation. This creates a disparity in how different indigenous populations are treated under federal Medicaid policy, potentially affecting coverage for Native Hawaiians who cannot meet work requirements.
- Managed Care · LA
Elevance Health Exits Louisiana Medicaid, Affecting 290,000 Members
Elevance Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana will terminate their Healthy Blue Medicaid plan in Louisiana effective 2027. The exit affects approximately 290,000 Medicaid enrollees who will need to select a new managed care plan. The withdrawal continues a pattern of MCO exits from the Louisiana Medicaid market. Affected members will receive transition notices and have opportunities to enroll in remaining plans before their current coverage ends.
Tuesday, September 1 · 24 stories
- State Policy · NM
New Mexico County Defends Slow Opioid Settlement Spending as Capacity-Building
Doña Ana County's opioid settlement project manager responded to a New Mexico State Auditor report finding that nearly half of counties and municipalities reported no spending from the state's nearly $1 billion opioid settlement fund through June 2025. The county defended its approach, stating that it prioritized establishing governance structures, stakeholder engagement, and coordinated planning before deploying funds. The manager noted challenges including provider shortages in rural areas and the need to align settlement dollars with other funding sources including Medicaid and New Mexico's Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act. The county created a joint advisory council with the City of Las Cruces to coordinate behavioral health investments across jurisdictions.
- State Policy · NC
North Carolina Expands School-Based Mental Health Through Federal Project AWARE Grant
North Carolina received two rounds of federal SAMHSA Project AWARE grants totaling $8.8 million (2018) and additional funding (2021) to embed mental health services in six school districts: Beaufort, Cleveland, Rockingham, Jackson, Nash, and Sampson counties. The program created a licensed clinical mental health counselor job classification for school districts, established training programs, and built infrastructure for mental health service delivery in schools. SAMHSA announced $55.7 million in new funding in July 2026, with North Carolina applying for a third cohort; the state expects to learn whether it received funding by September 1, 2026. The initiative replaced fragmented approaches to student mental health with coordinated school-based services.
- Federal Policy
House to Vote on Stopgap Bill Blocking White House Control Over Federal Research Grants
The House is expected to vote Tuesday evening on a Senate-passed stopgap funding bill that temporarily blocks a White House proposal to give political appointees control over federal research grants, including NIH funding. The bill will use a fast-track process requiring two-thirds support, indicating House GOP leadership expects passage. If the vote fails, lawmakers must wait until September 14 when the Senate returns to reconcile differences between the chambers. The proposal affects federal research funding that supports Medicaid-related health services research and demonstration projects.
- State Policy · HI
Hawaii Receives $58M Federal Grant for EMS Infrastructure and Health Workforce
Hawaii has been awarded $58 million through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program to expand emergency medical services and healthcare workforce capacity. The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine will receive $45 million for workforce development programs, while the Hawaii Department of Health will use the remaining $13 million to purchase ambulances and upgrade emergency communications systems. The funding addresses rural healthcare infrastructure gaps and provider shortages affecting access to care statewide.
- Industry
Novartis, Bristol Myers Pause Cell Therapy Trials After Three Patient Deaths
Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb have halted multiple autoimmune cell therapy trials after inflammatory side effects emerged, including three patient deaths from immune reactions in Novartis trials of CAR-T candidate rap-cel. Bristol Myers voluntarily paused enrollment in autoimmune trials for its CAR-T treatment zola-cel. Both therapies use accelerated production technology compared to earlier CAR-T products. The pauses affect investigational treatments not yet approved for any indication, with unclear timelines for resumption.
- State Policy
Epic Data Shows Medicaid Coverage Restrictions Shift Costs to Cash-Paying Patients
An Epic research analysis of over 550 million healthcare encounters found that restricting Medicaid coverage drives low-income patients to pay out-of-pocket for medical care. The study quantifies how Medicaid eligibility changes affect patient payment patterns and access to care. The findings are relevant to state policymakers considering Medicaid coverage restrictions and to providers managing increased bad debt and charity care. The research provides evidence of downstream financial impacts when states tighten Medicaid eligibility or benefits.
- State Policy · OR
Oregon State Hospital Superintendent Removed After One Month
Oregon Health Authority removed Oregon State Hospital Superintendent Sean Murphy after a one-month trial period, following the August 1 resignation of OHA Director Sejal Hathi who appointed him in June. Jim Diegel, former interim superintendent and hospital operations strategist, will return to lead the facility while OHA searches for a permanent replacement. The facility faces ongoing compliance issues including a July federal lawsuit over patient care and nearly $5 million in fines for failing to place patients within court-ordered seven-day timelines, though it returned to compliance in June 2026.
- State Policy · GA
Georgia ACA Exchange Plans Propose Premium Increases Up to 29% for 2027
Health insurers on Georgia's ACA marketplace have proposed premium increases ranging from 10% to 29% for 2027 coverage, with open enrollment beginning November 1, 2026. Two insurers—Cigna and UnitedHealthcare—are exiting the market, while Antidote is entering. These increases follow 2026 rate hikes after Congress allowed pandemic-era enhanced ACA subsidies to expire, which led approximately 350,000 Georgians to drop coverage. The proposed rates are not final and remain subject to state review and federal subsidy calculations.
- State Policy · KY
Kentucky Begins Implementing 2024 Kinship Care Law After Two-Year Budget Dispute
Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services has begun implementing SB 151, a 2024 law providing financial support to relatives raising children who would otherwise be in state foster care. The implementation follows a two-year standoff between Governor Beshear and the legislature over funding, resolved when lawmakers allocated $12 million over the 2026-2027 biennium—below the $30 million Beshear requested. The cabinet issued guidance in July establishing procedures for kinship care placements, allowing eligible relative and fictive kin caregivers to receive foster care per diem payments ranging from $27 to $81 depending on the child's age and medical complexity. Advocates express concern about potential barriers in the application process and lack of public input on implementation procedures.
- Industry
Centene Names Bradley Bolivar Chief Information Officer
Centene Corporation has appointed Bradley Bolivar as Chief Information Officer. Bolivar joins from Fannie Mae and will lead the company's information technology strategy. The appointment comes as insurers, including Medicaid managed care organizations, increasingly integrate artificial intelligence into operations. No effective date was specified in the announcement.
- Industry · NY
Troy Hospital Keeps Birthing Center Open After Community Opposition
A hospital in Troy, New York, reversed plans to close its birthing center following bipartisan community opposition to the closure. The facility is the county's last birthing center. Local Democrats and Republicans joined forces to challenge the closure decision by the national Catholic health system that operates the hospital. The reversal preserves maternity services in a county that would otherwise have lost all local birthing options.
- State Policy · SD
South Dakota Food Assessment Recommends Medicaid-Funded Produce Prescriptions to Address Food Insecurity
A new statewide food landscape assessment in South Dakota found 30% of residents at risk of food insecurity skip meals to stay within budget. The report recommends introducing produce prescription programs — which allow healthcare providers to prescribe fruits and vegetables redeemable at stores or markets — potentially funded through a Medicaid waiver, similar to approaches used in other states. The South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative plans to discuss the recommendation with state lawmakers during the 2027 legislative session. The assessment was produced by the state Department of Health, Avera Research Institute, University of South Dakota, and the collaborative, which includes state agencies responsible for Medicaid and social services.
- Federal Policy
Opinion Argues Trump Administration Increases Administrative Burden on Federal Health Programs
An opinion piece argues the Trump administration has increased administrative requirements for federal health programs, including Medicaid, and biomedical research grants. The authors claim these changes worsen the existing "time tax" — the 10.5 billion hours Americans spent on federal paperwork in 2023 — which the government estimates causes $140 billion in unclaimed benefits annually. The commentary suggests increased bureaucracy at HHS affects scientists seeking grants and Medicaid beneficiaries navigating enrollment or benefits. No specific policy changes or dates are detailed in the excerpt provided.