Sep, 22, 2023

State Health Updates

  • California – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is awarding $16.3 million in grants to tribal entities and community-based organizations to support the state’s Youth Suicide Prevention Media and Outreach Campaign. Additionally, as Californians continue to return to school, CDPH is announcing two new resource hubs for youth, families, caregivers, teachers and schools: the Youth Suicide Prevention Hub and the Back-to-School Mental Health Hub.
  • Michigan
    • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is extending the renewal of enrollees undergoing life-saving treatment through May 2024 to ensure these enrollees can keep their healthcare coverage and complete their treatment. The extension for those receiving life-saving treatment applies to enrollees undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy infusions or dialysis who are not able to be renewed through ex parte and do not have other comprehensive health insurance coverage, like Medicare.
    • MDHHS is expanding access to mobile response teams to address crisis situations for young people. Five Community Mental Health Services Programs are receiving more than $900,000 in grants through the mobile response grant program.
  • Nevada – The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it reinstated coverage for Nevadans who recently had their coverage end because they did not return their renewal documentation. Due to a change in federal direction on policy in August, the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) was able to reinstate coverage for approximately 114,000 individuals. Individuals whose Medicaid coverage was reinstated this week will receive a notice in the mail from DWSS.
  • New Jersey – The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance announced the adoption of rules to require comprehensive abortion coverage as part of all health benefit plans regulated by the department. This requirement, which was in place of January 1, 2023 in the individual and small employer health insurance markets, will now be in effect for the fully-insured large employer health insurance market upon plan issuance or renewal.
  • New Mexico – The New Mexico Human Services Department announced that the state is proposing to supplement and enhance the Medicaid Turquoise Care Section 1115 renewal application, including continuing to provide personal care services provided by family caregivers to individuals under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit.
  • North Carolina – The North Carolina Legislature approved the state budget for fiscal year 2024 which includes funding for the expansion of Medicaid. In a statement issued following passage of the bill, Governor Cooper highlighted how Medicaid expansion will provide health insurance for 600,000 more North Carolinians.
  • North Dakota – The state is seeking public comments on the renewal of its’ Medicaid 1915(c) individuals with intellectual disabilities/developmental disability home and community-based services waiver application. The state is proposing changes to the waiver, including increasing capacity by 150 slots per year and allowing emergency slots to be used for a transition from any institutional setting, in addition to other changes.
  • Rhode Island – The Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) for the state of Rhode Island approved the commercial health insurance premiums for 2024. Overall, the OHIC approved weighted average rate changes are 5.9% for the individual market, 3.9% for the small group market and 8.5% for the large group market.
  • Vermont – The Vermont Department of Health Access released a request for proposals for organizations to provide business supports to home and community-based services (HCBS) providers through the state’s Medicaid Data Aggregation & Access Program (MDAAP). MDAAP provides incentives to encourage HCBS providers to implement electronic medical records. Proposals are due on October 20, with contracts expected to begin December 1, 2023. 
  • Connecticut & Delaware – SHVS published an update of our expert perspective State Reporting to Monitor the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Coverage Requirement to include Connecticut and Delaware as both states are now releasing unwinding data. As a reminder, SHVS is also tracking State-Based Marketplaces that are publicly reporting data on coverage transitions during the unwinding.