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Tuesday, September 1 · 17 stories
- State Policy · AR
Arkansas Expands Maternal Life360 Home Visiting Program to Northwest Arkansas
Arkansas expanded its Maternal Life360 program to Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas on August 31, 2026, providing home visits for high-risk Medicaid and expansion enrollees through a child's second birthday. The program, operated through Family Network, offers pregnancy education, postpartum support, and resource navigation in English, Spanish, and Marshallese. Mercy Northwest Arkansas becomes the fourth active site; the state plans further expansion to address Arkansas's high maternal and infant mortality rates.
- State Policy · KS
Kansas Pharmacist Reports Revenue Loss Under New PBM Transparency Law
Kansas pharmacist Will Anderson reports his Lawrence pharmacy is losing revenue following implementation of Senate Bill 20, which took effect in April 2026 after passage in March. The law bans spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers, sets a floor for pharmacy reimbursement, and requires transparent reimbursement formulas based on actual drug acquisition costs plus dispensing fees. Anderson, who advocated for the law, expects the revenue loss to reverse as the industry adapts and says similar reforms in other states generated significant Medicaid savings — Ohio eliminated spread pricing and saved over $224 million in one year.
- State Policy · NH
New Hampshire Disability System Records 21 Abuse Cases, 30 Deaths in First Half of 2026
State records show 21 confirmed cases of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse and 30 deaths occurred in New Hampshire's state-run intellectual and developmental disability care system from January through June 2026. The system, which contracts with private agencies to serve people with disabilities including autism and cerebral palsy, received 280 reports of abuse, neglect, or exploitation during this period; state investigators deemed 75 credible, with 88 investigations still incomplete. The data indicates continued systemic problems nine months after a media investigation documented widespread abuse and neglect in the program, which serves Medicaid-funded LTSS beneficiaries.
- State Policy · TX
Texas Medicaid Application Backlog Reaches 210,000 Amid SNAP Accuracy Requirements
Texas' Medicaid application backlog grew by more than 209,000 cases between January and August 2026, reaching a total backlog exceeding 210,000, according to state data shared in stakeholder meetings. The SNAP backlog grew by over 146,000 during the same period. State officials and advocates attribute the delays to new SNAP accuracy requirements affecting eligibility processing capacity. The backlog directly delays coverage for eligible individuals and may affect states' federal performance metrics under Medicaid timeliness standards.
- State Policy
Developmental Disability Providers Report Financial Crisis From State Agency Payment Delays
Developmental disability service providers report they are nearing financial insolvency due to payment delays and administrative dysfunction at state Medicaid agencies, following more than two years of erroneous disenrollments during unwinding. Providers cite slow agency responses, unresolved eligibility issues, and accumulating unpaid claims for HCBS and developmental disability services. The timeline spans the entire unwinding period from 2024 through present day. This threatens the stability of the DD service delivery system and access to long-term services and supports for one of Medicaid's most vulnerable populations.
- State Policy · NM
New Mexico Projects 89,000 Medicaid Enrollees Could Lose Coverage Under Federal Work Requirements
New Mexico state officials estimate approximately 89,000 Medicaid enrollees — roughly 10% of total program enrollment — could lose coverage when federal work requirements in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" take effect. State agency leaders announced the projection during a Monday news conference. The work requirements represent a significant shift in Medicaid eligibility policy that would require certain adult enrollees to meet work or work-related activity thresholds to maintain coverage. The projected coverage losses would directly affect state budget planning, MCO enrollment, provider revenue, and uncompensated care levels.
- State Policy · TX
Texas Hospitals Lose $27 Million Daily as Federal Medicaid Supplemental Payments End September 1
The Trump administration will terminate $9.8 billion in supplemental Medicaid funding to Texas hospitals effective September 1, 2026, resulting in $27 million in daily losses statewide. The funds currently help hospitals cover the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and actual service costs. Texas hospitals will face immediate financial pressure as the supplemental payments — which support uncompensated care and low Medicaid reimbursement — are eliminated. This action affects hospital margins, capacity to serve Medicaid beneficiaries, and potentially network adequacy for managed care organizations contracting with affected providers.
Monday, August 31 · 76 stories
- State Policy · NJ
Rutgers Dental School Expands Free Sealant Program in New Jersey Schools
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine launched a school-based dental sealant program serving low-income school districts across New Jersey, providing free preventive care including sealants and oral health screenings to students. The program treated 200 students in Franklin Township starting in February 2026 and plans to expand to Atlantic County schools in fall 2026. The state Department of Health provided $55,000 in grants to support the initiative, which addresses New Jersey's high rates of untreated dental disease among children — more than one-third of third graders have untreated decay compared to one-fifth nationwide. The program targets children in Medicaid and low-income families, who face higher decay rates and limited access to pediatric dentists accepting Medicaid.
- State Policy · GA
Georgia GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jackson Pledges to Exit State Medicaid Staffing Contracts if Elected
Republican Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson says he will terminate his healthcare companies' state contracts if elected governor in November 2026, but would not rule out contract extensions before the election. Jackson Healthcare subsidiaries have received nearly $1 billion from Georgia agencies since fiscal year 2020, primarily through medical staffing contracts with the Department of Community Health. A contract with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities was recently extended through June 2027, six months into the next governor's term. Jackson stated he would invoke a 30-day termination clause immediately after the election if he wins.
- State Policy · CA
California Bill Would Ban AI Chatbots From Advertising as Therapy
California SB 903, authored by Sen. Steve Padilla, would prohibit companies from marketing AI chatbots as therapy, require licensed professional review of AI therapeutic decisions, and mandate patient consent before using AI tools to record sessions or triage mental healthcare. The bill is backed by professional associations and the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which recently filed a complaint against Kaiser Permanente for alleged use of automated algorithms in mental health triaging. Supporters say safeguards are needed to protect consumers and licensed professionals; opponents focus on restrictions for clinical AI use. The legislation comes amid wrongful death lawsuits in California federal courts accusing AI chatbot makers of contributing to user suicides.
- State Policy · MO
Missouri Abortion Ballot Measure Campaign Draws $1.25M Bloomberg Donation Ahead of November Vote
A campaign opposing Missouri's November ballot measure to reinstate abortion restrictions has raised over $6.5 million, including a $1.25 million donation from Michael Bloomberg reported August 6, 2026. Amendment 3 would repeal the 2024 reproductive rights amendment and reinstate a near-total abortion ban with limited exceptions, while also constitutionally banning gender-affirming care for minors. The measure already prohibits Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for all ages — a restriction upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court in January 2026. The vote is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
- State Policy · WV
West Virginia Medicaid Agency Says Audit Savings Years Away, Requires Technology Upgrades
West Virginia's Department of Human Services, which administers the state's Medicaid program, told lawmakers that $68.6 million in potential annual savings identified in a May 2026 BDO audit will take years to realize. The savings depend on costly technology upgrades, including fixing the state's $400 million PATH eligibility system, reducing paper mailings, and bringing foster children back in-state from residential facilities. Governor Patrick Morrisey paid BDO USA $1 million to audit three state agencies in search of efficiencies. Legislators expressed mixed reactions, with some understanding the timeline for system overhauls and others calling the audit's projections unrealistic.
- State Policy · NH
New Hampshire Child Food Insecurity Rises to 15.5% in 2024
Child food insecurity in New Hampshire increased from 36,160 children (14.5%) in 2023 to 38,430 children (15.5%) in 2024, according to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap report. Coös County experienced the highest rate at 22.1% of children food insecure, while Rockingham County had the lowest at 11.6%. The state remains below the national average of 19.5%. Data on the impact of 2025 federal SNAP restrictions—including tighter work requirements, benefit reductions, and migrant eligibility changes enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—will not be available for several years due to federal reporting delays.
- State Policy · NV
Nevada Spent $2.7 Billion on Federal Deportations Through July 2026, EPI Analysis Shows
Nevada taxpayers paid $2.7 billion toward federal mass deportations through July 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, averaging $2,421 per taxpayer, according to an Economic Policy Institute analysis. Clark County accounted for $1.8 billion and Washoe County for $600,000. The 2025 legislation expanded Department of Homeland Security detention budgets while cutting SNAP, Medicaid, and other public assistance programs. Nationwide, $268.9 billion in taxes funded deportations ($2,358 per taxpayer), representing funds that could have supported Medicaid for 187,000 Nevada residents or other public services.
- State Policy · ME
Maine Reports 20.7% Child Food Insecurity Rate, Highest in New England
Maine had the highest child food insecurity rate in New England in 2024 at 20.7%, with overall food insecurity affecting 14.5% of residents—more than 200,000 people. Forty-six percent of food-insecure Mainers earn too much to qualify for SNAP. Federal SNAP changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will require Maine to pay 15% of SNAP benefit costs starting in 2028—approximately $50 million annually—based on its payment error rate. Maine lawmakers responded by funding payment error reduction efforts and maintaining state-funded food assistance for immigrants excluded from federal SNAP.
- State Policy
GAO Reports Gig Platform Workers Lead All Employers in SNAP, Medicaid Enrollment
A Government Accountability Office report found that workers at DoorDash, Lyft, and Uber now have the highest rates of SNAP enrollment among major U.S. employers and rank third for Medicaid enrollment, a sharp increase from 2020 when these companies were not in the top five. The shift reflects gig work transitioning from supplemental to primary income for many workers, with nearly half of gig workers surveyed saying the work is essential or important to meeting basic needs. New Medicaid work requirements passed in 2025 — mandating 80 hours per month — may create verification challenges for gig workers who lack traditional pay stubs or single-employer documentation, potentially pushing workers off coverage despite meeting work thresholds. The trend highlights taxpayer-funded safety net programs subsidizing low-wage platform employment that does not provide traditional benefits.
- State Policy · NC
North Carolina Governor Signs Budget Corrections Including $319 Million Medicaid Appropriation
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed House Bill 268 on April 30, 2026, approving technical corrections to the 2026 state budget including $319 million in Medicaid funding. The legislation also includes a provision requiring cabinet members to vacate their positions if the Senate does not confirm their nomination by the end of the legislative session. The governor signed three additional bills including Senate Bill 445, the Regulatory Reform Act of 2026, and House Bill 562, which makes further technical budget corrections. The measures took effect upon signing.
- State Policy · NM
New Mexico Food Banks Report 79% Demand Surge Following Federal SNAP Cuts
New Mexico's largest food bank reported a 79% increase in demand between January 2025 and January 2026, following implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in July 2025. The federal law imposed new SNAP work requirements and threatened financial penalties for states with high error rates in program administration. A recent Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report found more than 10,000 New Mexico children lost SNAP benefits since the law took effect. Food bank leaders attribute increased demand both to residents losing federal food assistance and to rising grocery costs, with food prices nationally up 3% year-over-year as of July 2026.
- State Policy · UT
Utah Launches Workgroups to Divert Behavioral Health Populations from Jails to Treatment
Utah state, county, and city officials are implementing 25 recommendations to divert nonviolent individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders from jails into behavioral health treatment, modeled on Miami-Dade County's approach. The plan, developed by the Leifman Group in partnership with Salt Lake County in late 2025, involves new workgroups with law enforcement, courts, behavioral health providers, and other stakeholders. Governor Spencer Cox has endorsed the effort. The initiative seeks to modernize behavioral health services for populations currently cycling through criminal justice systems.
- State Policy · AL
Alabama Black Belt Children Face Higher Infant Mortality, Limited Obstetric Access
Children in Alabama's 24-county Black Belt region experience infant mortality rates above 9 per 1,000 live births versus 6.5 in non-Black Belt counties, with some counties exceeding 30 per 1,000, according to University of Alabama researchers. Only three Black Belt counties have hospitals with obstetrics services, forcing most pregnant women to travel outside their county for care. Researchers attribute disparities to lack of Medicaid expansion, transportation barriers, and lower household incomes, and recommend expanding the state's Well Woman Program and pre-kindergarten access.
