Apr, 26, 2024

State Health Updates

  • Alaska – The Alaska Department of Health, Division of Behavioral Health released a draft request for proposals intended to result in a contract for a behavioral health organization to partner in implementing the 1115 Alaska Substance Use Disorder and Behavioral Health Program waiver demonstration. 
  • Arizona – Governor Katie Hobbs, in collaboration with Attorney General Kris Mayes, unveiled ReproductiveHealth.az.gov to educate Arizona women about their healthcare rights and resources following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the 1864 total abortion ban. The website includes information on where to find reproductive healthcare providers and resources.
  • California – The Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) board has approved a statewide healthcare spending target phased in over time, initially starting at 3.5% for 2025 and 2026, lowered to 3.2% for 2027 and 2028, before reaching 3% for 2029 and beyond. The target will apply to healthcare entities, including health plans, provider organizations and hospitals. Beginning in 2026, OHCA can begin progressive enforcement action against entities that exceed the target, including providing technical assistance, requiring an explanation at public meetings, imposing performance improvement plans, and if warranted, assessing financial penalties. 
  • Maine – Governor Janet Mills has signed into law the fiscal year 2024-2025 supplemental budget. The budget includes funding for important mental health initiatives such as: funding to build more crisis receiving centers, allowing any person experiencing a mental health or substance-use crisis to get immediate, no-cost care; funding to strengthen mobile crisis response through a comprehensive Medicaid payment model; one-time funding to provide coverage for physical and mental health out-of-pocket expenses that are connected to a mass violence event in Maine and are not covered by insurance.
  • Michigan – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will begin providing maternal health quality payments to hospital birthing units fully participating in the Michigan Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (MI AIM) that have committed to participating in the Joint Commission Maternal Levels of Care (MLoC) Verification Program. MI AIM is a quality initiative program dedicated to improving the culture of maternal safety through the implementation of early recognition patient safety bundles (sets of practices that improve the quality of care provided during delivery and in the postpartum period). The MLoC Verification Program provides hospitals with an independent, external evaluation of their organization’s maternal health expertise, equipment and resources.
  • New York – Governor Kathy Hochul is highlighting efforts to improve New Yorkers’ health as part of the enacted fiscal year 2025 budget. The budget includes: $37 billion in Medicaid investments to support and transform the healthcare delivery system; creating paid prenatal leave for pregnant individuals; eliminating out-of-pocket costs for pregnancy-related benefits for qualified health plans; eliminating insulin cost-sharing for state-regulated health insurance plans; combatting medical debt by banning hospitals from suing patients earning less than 400% of the federal poverty level; and $33 million to expand mental health services for those living with mental illness and involved in the criminal justice system.
  • North Carolina – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced a $22 million investment to expand community crisis centers and peer respite care across the state. The investment will increase the state’s capacity for community-based crisis treatment by 20%, helping to ensure people experiencing a behavioral health crisis have alternative options to emergency departments or community and state psychiatric hospitals when seeking care.
  • North Dakota
    • North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $3 million in matching grant funding available for the Statewide Health Strategies Grant program. The grant program activates the ND State Health Improvement Plan to address North Dakota’s health priorities.
    • Recovery Talk, a North Dakota HHS program, has unveiled new features aimed at bolstering its support for individuals facing substance-use disorder. Recovery Talk provides free and confidential assistance to North Dakotans and now offers both incoming and outgoing services. Individuals can call or text anytime they need immediate support. The outgoing services enable peer support specialists to reach out and connect with individuals on a pre-scheduled basis.
  • Oklahoma – Following the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s (OHCA) transition to SoonerSelect, a new comprehensive health delivery system, the agency distributed the first enhanced directed payment to Oklahoma hospitals in the amount of $252.4 million. Additionally, under SoonerSelect, OHCA is implementing a new provider incentive payment program that incentivizes early intervention behavioral health screenings, after-hours access to services and well visits. 
  • Texas – Governor Greg Abbott announced a $34 million project to build a behavioral health campus in Uvalde dedicated to providing on-site care to children and adults experiencing mental health crises in 32 counties in the surrounding area. The new behavioral health campus is expected to open in summer 2025. 
  • Virginia – The Department of Medical Assistance Services will host a virtual forum on language and disability access. The two-hour forum is open to the public and will focus on the theme “Translations, Language Taglines and Strategies for Identifying Frequently Used Languages.” A panel discussion will explore how state agencies and Medicaid stakeholders handle translations to enhance accessibility for individuals with limited English proficiency and people with disabilities.
  • Washington – The Washington Health Benefit Exchange released its Spring 2024 Enrollment Report, reflecting upon the success of its most recent open enrollment period. More than 253,000 Washingtonians enrolled in a qualified health plan through Washington Healthplanfinder for plan year 2024 and approximately 81% of enrollees are receiving Cascade Care Savings (the state subsidy program) and/or are eligible for federal premium subsidies.