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Wednesday, September 30 · 14 stories
- State Policy · CO
Colorado Warns Proposed Federal Rules Would Cut Medicaid Funding
Colorado officials say newly proposed federal rules would have a "disastrous" effect on Medicaid and other insurance funding streams, further straining an already stressed state budget. The state warns that lost federal funding under the proposal would force difficult tradeoffs in coverage and spending. Details on the specific federal rule's scope, comment deadline, and mechanism are not fully specified in the source report. State officials are raising alarms as the proposal moves through the federal rulemaking process.
Tuesday, September 29 · 9 stories
- State Policy
CHCS Outlines Strategies to Link Primary Care, Food Is Medicine
In a blog post, the Center for Health Care Strategies presents three strategies for state Medicaid agencies to strengthen primary care's role in connecting members to Food Is Medicine (FIM) interventions, such as medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions. The piece targets state Medicaid officials seeking to embed nutrition-related screening, referral, and care coordination into primary care workflows. It frames primary care providers as a key entry point for identifying food insecurity and directing members to FIM services. No specific regulatory or funding action is announced; the post offers programmatic guidance for states designing or scaling these efforts.
- State Policy · KS
Kansas Builds Sustained Medicaid-Public Health Coordination Model
In a NAMD snapshot, the association profiles Kansas's approach to bridging Medicaid and public health agencies through sustained, structured collaboration rather than one-off, crisis-driven coordination. The model relies on monthly cross-agency meetings, shared data governance arrangements, and joint initiatives covering newborn screening, infectious disease response, and rural maternal and infant health. State Medicaid agencies and public health departments are the primary audience, as the profile is meant to offer a replicable framework for other states seeking to formalize interagency coordination. No specific effective date or regulatory action is described; the piece functions as a case study of institutional practice.
- State Policy · PA
Allegheny County Kindergarten MMR Rate Falls Below Herd Immunity Threshold
Pennsylvania has confirmed 835 measles cases across 39 counties in 2026, including 164 hospitalizations and four deaths among unvaccinated residents, compared to just 16 cases statewide in 2025. Allegheny County's kindergarten MMR vaccination rate stood at 91.8% for the 2025-26 school year, below the 95% threshold needed to prevent community spread, continuing a decade-long decline. The MMR vaccine is available at no cost to Medicaid-enrolled, uninsured, and underinsured children at Pennsylvania's 59 state health centers. The outbreak underscores how declining childhood vaccination coverage is driving disease resurgence in a state where Medicaid covers a large share of pediatric immunizations.
- State Policy · RI
Rhode Island AG Rejects Turnaround Plan for Safety-Net Hospitals
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha's office rejected a financial turnaround plan submitted by CharterCARE Health of Rhode Island, the new owner of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, saying it relied on unrealistic assumptions. The plan was required under conditions imposed when the hospitals' sale to nonprofit owner The Centurion Foundation closed in March. Neronha gave the owners until October 2 to submit a revised plan, warning the hospitals could be at risk of closing by year's end despite an $85 million cash infusion required at sale closing. Both hospitals serve large shares of Medicaid and Medicare patients and face pressure from new federal Medicaid eligibility requirements and funding cuts expected to increase uncompensated care.
- State Policy · CA
Newsom Signs Limited CARE Court Fixes, Bigger Overhaul Bills Die
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills making incremental changes to CARE Court, the state's mental health court program launched in 2023 to connect severely mentally ill residents with treatment. One law lets more first responders refer people into the program; another allows family members to share treatment-relevant information with care teams. Two more sweeping bills that would have created pathways from CARE Court into involuntary conservatorship died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in August over cost concerns and insufficient data on program performance. State data through June 2025 show CARE Court has reached far fewer people than projected, with only 517 of 2,216 petitions resulting in care agreements.
- State Policy · MI
Michigan Distributes $173M Rural Health Grants, Faces Transparency Questions
Michigan health officials detailed allocation of the state's initial $173 million rural health transformation award, telling a House Appropriations Subcommittee that $124.6 million has been approved for 236 subrecipients, though the state's public tracking website shows only about $102 million awarded to 126 organizations as of late August. Funds are split across four priorities: chronic disease collaboration, workforce development, home-based care access, and technology upgrades, with recipients including the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, tribal governments, local health departments, universities, and fewer than 20 Federally Qualified Health Centers. State lawmakers flagged a discrepancy between figures cited to legislators and what's publicly posted, calling it a transparency issue as budget deadlines approach. Rural healthcare leaders separately argue the funding is insufficient to offset federal Medicaid cuts affecting their systems' stability.
- State Policy · NH
NH Committee Recommends Overhaul of Disability Abuse Reporting System
New Hampshire's System Review Committee finalized recommendations to reform the state's oversight of developmental disability care, following a Bulletin investigation that found hundreds of abuse and neglect incidents in the taxpayer-funded, privately-run care network. Key proposals include a centralized complaint intake system, a single designated lead agency for investigations, a 24/7 reporting hotline, a new 'inconclusive' finding category for investigators, a public education campaign on reporting obligations, and unannounced facility visits. The recommendations target the state Department of Health and Human Services, which currently splits oversight across multiple siloed offices including Medicaid Program Quality, Adult Protective Services, and Licensing and Certification. No implementation timeline was specified in the recommendations released Thursday.
- State Policy · NC
North Carolina Auditor Relaunches Review of Delayed Medicaid IT Project
North Carolina's state auditor is restarting a review of a Medicaid computer-system overhaul that is years behind schedule and has cost hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. WRAL Investigates obtained federal documents showing early warnings about the project's problems, along with a prior state audit that was never publicly released. The renewed review affects the state Medicaid agency's technology modernization effort and comes as officials face public scrutiny over cost overruns and delays. State officials are expected to respond to the findings on WRAL-TV broadcasts.
- State Policy · MT
Montana's Early Medicaid Work Requirement Rollout Sparks Confusion
Montana implemented Medicaid work requirements ahead of the national Jan. 1 start date required in most states, requiring beneficiaries to document work, volunteering, or schooling to keep coverage. Beneficiaries and advocates report confusion and anxiety over reporting rules and eligibility verification during the early rollout. The early start makes Montana a preview of implementation problems other states may face when their own work requirements take effect January 1. Enrollees who fail to properly document compliance risk losing coverage, and caseworkers face added administrative burden processing verifications.
Monday, September 28 · 10 stories
- State Policy · CO
Colorado to Receive $169 Million for Rural Health Services
CMS announced $169 million in federal funding to expand specialty care, strengthen emergency services, and improve access to blood transfusions for patients in Colorado. The funding targets rural and underserved areas of the state, aiming to close gaps in specialty and emergency care access. The press release does not specify an effective date or application deadline, nor does it name the specific funding mechanism behind the award. For state Medicaid officials and rural providers in Colorado, the funding could support infrastructure and service expansion tied to Medicaid beneficiary access in areas with historically limited care options.
- State Policy · CA
California Governor Candidates Offer Vague Health Cost Plans Ahead of Medi-Cal Cuts
California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra (Democrat) and Steve Hilton (Republican) have each outlined broad health care affordability goals but have not detailed how they would pay for them, according to CalMatters. Becerra says he wants universal coverage and to cut administrative waste but has declined interview requests and specific policy questions. Hilton released a 'Working Class Health Care Guarantee' proposing price transparency and replacing part of Medi-Cal with personal health spending accounts, though it faces long odds in the Democrat-controlled legislature. The stakes are high for Medi-Cal enrollees, who face significant federal rule changes taking effect January 1 that are expected to cause coverage losses regardless of who wins the governor's race.</br>
- State Policy · OH
Ohio Medicaid Proposes Overhaul of Behavioral Health Coverage Rules
The Ohio Department of Medicaid has circulated proposed rulemaking covering 11 rules, six to be amended and five rescinded and replaced, that would significantly restructure Medicaid-covered behavioral health services statewide. The changes would affect nearly every community behavioral health provider in Ohio, altering coverage requirements and service standards. The client alert from Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick outlines the scope of the proposal but does not specify a comment deadline or effective date. Providers should review the proposed rules closely given the breadth of the restructuring and its potential impact on billing, documentation, and service delivery.
- State Policy · OR
Oregon Warns Consumers Against Limited-Benefit Self-Funded Plans Ahead of Open Enrollment
Oregon's Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a consumer warning about self-funded limited partner plans that promise low premiums but typically cover only preventive care, leaving enrollees exposed to large medical bills. The warning comes as open enrollment for individual coverage begins November 1, with ACA-compliant premiums rising nearly 22% and subsidies shrinking. Regulators identified specific warning signs and companies marketing these non-ACA-compliant plans, which often misrepresent consumers as "limited partners" or "employees" to avoid consumer protection rules. The advisory matters for Medicaid stakeholders because cost-pressured consumers dropping or avoiding Marketplace coverage due to premium increases may cycle into Medicaid eligibility or present as uncompensated care for safety-net providers.
- State Policy
SHVS Toolkit Illustrates State Medicaid Work Requirement Evaluation and Compliance Process
State Health and Value Strategies published a toolkit demonstrating how states apply work reporting requirements in Medicaid, including the stepwise process for determining member exemptions, verifying qualifying activities, and managing noncompliance. The toolkit walks through evaluation hierarchies, mandatory and short-term hardship exceptions, and data verification procedures using member scenarios. It provides operational guidance for states implementing or managing work requirement programs under federal approval.
- State Policy · VT
Vermont Orders UVM Medical Center to Submit Medical Education Funding Plan by December
Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board approved UVM Medical Center's 2027 budget with conditions requiring the hospital to form a public working group and submit a plan by December 15, 2026 for how it funds medical education. The order follows a July analysis finding the medical center spent $161 million on medical education in 2025, with $82 million paid by commercial insurers — a cost projected to reach $88 million in 2026. The working group must examine the role, expenses, and benefits of the Larner College of Medicine and residency programs, with the care board voting on approval by January 15, 2027. UVM Health leaders say they will focus on filling workforce gaps in primary care, mental health, and anesthesiology.
- State Policy · IN
Indiana Projects $5.3 Billion in Reserves by June 2027
Indiana closed fiscal year 2026 with nearly $4 billion in reserves and projects $5.3 billion in reserves by June 30, 2027 — 22% of revenues — as monthly collections have exceeded forecasts for ten consecutive months. Not all reserves are available for new spending: the total includes dedicated funds for Medicaid contingency ($274.7 million), state tuition ($739.6 million), and the Rainy Day Fund ($1.12 billion), and over $1.1 billion may be needed to reimburse the highway fund for the summer gas tax holiday. If reserves exceed 12.5% of appropriations in 2027, state law triggers an automatic taxpayer refund. The state's FY 2026-2027 budget cut real spending by 7% after April 2025 revenue forecasts fell short; legislators may revisit those cuts if the December 2026 forecast shows continued growth.
- State Policy · OH
Ohio Infant Mortality Rate Falls to 6.6 per 1,000 Births, Black Infants Still Die at 2.5 Times White Rate
Ohio's infant mortality rate dropped to 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, the lowest in a decade, but remains above the national average of 5.36. Black infants die at a rate of 12.6 per 1,000 births — more than 2.5 times the white infant rate of 5.1 — and providers report systemic disrespect and racism in care delivery. The state's latest biennial budget allocated $18 million annually for infant vitality programs, down from the House's proposed $20 million, and $5 million for maternal health programs, down from the governor's $7.5 million request. Advocates cite recent federal Medicaid funding cuts — estimated to cost Ohio $33 million over 10 years — as contributing to rural maternity ward closures and reduced access for Medicaid-eligible pregnant individuals.
- State Policy · OR
Oregon Providers Sue to Block Rule Prioritizing Criminal Defendants for Mental Health Beds
Oregon mental health providers and hospitals challenged a 2025 state rule requiring residential facilities to prioritize criminal defendants from the Oregon State Hospital over civil and voluntary patients, regardless of clinical need. The Oregon Health Authority adopted the rule to comply with a federal court order requiring the state to admit criminal defendants from jail to the state hospital within one week, with contempt fines exceeding $4 million. Providers argue the rule discriminates against non-forensic patients, commandeers private facilities to fulfill state obligations, and undermines clinical decision-making. The merged case was heard by the Oregon Court of Appeals on September 22, 2026, with no decision timeline announced.
- State Policy · CO
Colorado Considers Cutting Peer Support Services After 286% Cost Increase
Colorado lawmakers are targeting cuts to Medicaid-funded peer support services for addiction recovery after program spending increased 286% since the state authorized payment for peer counseling in 2021 through bipartisan legislation. The rapid cost growth has prompted state officials to examine whether to scale back or restructure the benefit. The timing of any benefit changes has not been announced. This matters for managed care organizations and behavioral health providers delivering substance use disorder services through Colorado Medicaid, as peer support has become a standard component of recovery-oriented care models.
