Medicaid Work-Rule Fight Moves to State Implementation
States are building Medicaid verification systems ahead of a January 1, 2027 deadline while a 26-state lawsuit challenges CMS rules on medical frailty.
Health Care
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Beshear uses $255 million to block Kentucky Medicaid cut, but long-term funding remains unresolved
Kentucky will use unexpected surplus and corporate-tax revenue to prevent a scheduled 4% Medicaid reimbursement reduction for affected fee-for-service providers. The move protects services through the current fiscal-year period, while lawmakers still face a recurring-funding question.
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Iowa prepares to award a second round of rural cancer-care hub contracts
Iowa HHS is expected to announce second-round rural cancer hub awards on or around August 7, with an approximate $26.7 million available over five years.
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Indiana’s Medicaid provider freeze is now in effect. What HCBS providers and families should know
Indiana’s six-month moratorium on new certification and enrollment for many home- and community-based Medicaid providers took effect August 1, following an FSSA audit that reported $198,031,230.18 in extrapolated improper payments.
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Bakersfield Memorial Hospital layoffs take effect, eliminating 57 jobs
A California WARN filing shows Dignity Health permanently eliminated 57 positions at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital effective August 3, including 33 nurses, according to local reporting.
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Florida Medicaid open enrollment begins Oct. 1: What beneficiaries should watch now
Florida Medicaid open enrollment runs Oct. 1-Nov. 30, 2026. Beneficiaries can keep their plan or request a change effective Dec. 1, while some adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a separate voluntary ICMC option.
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Indiana VA facilities set for Aug. 22 electronic-records switch
Three Indiana VA medical centers and associated clinics are scheduled to switch systems Aug. 22, temporarily limiting online appointments, messages and refills.
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GAO: Federal Marketplace Controls Left Consumers Vulnerable to Plan Changes
A GAO report says weak CMS safeguards may have allowed unauthorized Marketplace changes, putting coverage, premiums and tax credits at risk for consumers.
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Oklahoma’s $223.5 million rural health program moves into implementation
Oklahoma has secured $223,476,948.62 for the first budget period of a five-year rural-health grant. Providers, schools and community groups are now watching funding decisions, procurement and a September 11 school-health deadline.
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North Dakota’s $199 million rural-health program reaches its implementation phase
North Dakota organizations face rural-health grant deadlines from Aug. 9 through Aug. 19 as the state begins deploying nearly $199 million in federal funds.
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New Hampshire approved $1.64 billion more Medicaid contract authority
The state raised the combined ceiling for three Medicaid managed-care contracts to $4.41 billion through August 2029. The approval does not show that the full increase has been spent or will be spent immediately.
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Jersey City hospital appeal keeps Heights site and closure process unsettled
Hudson Regional Health gave notice of an appeal after a court dismissed its challenge to the state closure process. The former Heights hospital at 176 Palisade Avenue remains closed, with no replacement facility approved.
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Irvine’s Hoag Sun Family Campus nears September opening after surgical pavilion launch
Hoag’s Irvine expansion has entered its service-opening phase, with a surgical pavilion open and maternity, neonatal and specialty facilities planned for September 2026.
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Medicare’s $50 GLP-1 Bridge: Who Qualifies and What It Excludes
CMS’s temporary Medicare GLP-1 Bridge offers selected beneficiaries a $50 monthly route to certain weight-loss drugs, but strict eligibility limits apply.
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Connecticut HUSKY D members face new federal work rules beginning in 2027
Some Connecticut adults enrolled in or applying for HUSKY D may need to document work, education, training or community service beginning January 1, 2027. Exemptions and Connecticut’s verification process are still developing.
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CommonGood Medical Opens Larger McKinney Clinic for Eligible Uninsured Residents
CommonGood Medical has moved to a larger McKinney clinic, expanding access for eligible uninsured and low-income Collin County residents.
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CMS will use shorter surveys for some nursing homes starting Sept. 8
CMS will begin shorter routine surveys for some high-performing nursing homes on September 8, but complaints and safety concerns can still trigger traditional inspections.
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Rochelle Community Hospital modernization plan remains under state review
A proposed $48,579,513 modernization of Rochelle Community Hospital would add a new patient-services building and expand emergency capacity, but state staff questioned emergency-department utilization projections and some project costs.
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VA Augusta ambulance service reports more than 120 veteran transports since launch
The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center’s in-house ambulance service had completed more than 120 veteran transports by its July 16 launch event, according to WRDW, with the program designed for veterans needing medically supported transportation.
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Illinois Medicaid changes for many noncitizens are approaching. Notices will arrive in August
Illinois will send personalized Medicaid notices in August before coverage ends Sept. 30 for some noncitizens under new federal eligibility rules.
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Wyoming’s $205 million rural-health program moves from applications to provider awards
Wyoming’s first-year federal rural-health award is moving into provider selection and contracting after the main application deadline passed Aug. 2, with first-year funds expected to be obligated by Oct. 30.
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GAO Flags Unfinished Fraud Controls in Medicare and VA Payments
A July GAO review found $23.7 billion in Medicare Advantage payment errors and $608 million in VA Community Care improper or unknown payments.