State Health Updates
- Maine – The Maine Bureau of Insurance published summary tables for the 2025 average rate increases in the individual and small group insurance market. The weighted average increases in rate filings are 14.2% for individual health insurance and 14.5% for small group health insurance.
- Michigan – Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2024-4 establishing the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. The task force, housed within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, will identify root causes of gun violence, compile and report relevant data, maximize existing resources, solicit perspectives from diverse stakeholders, and provide policy recommendations.
- Minnesota – Governor Tim Walz signed legislation to help ease the burden of medical debt on Minnesotans. The legislation bans medical providers from withholding medically necessary care due to unpaid debt; prevents medical debt from impacting credit scores; establishes new protections from unethical medical debt collections practices; and creates a new process to help people dispute medical coding and billing errors. SHVS has updated our expert perspective mapping state efforts to address medical debt to include Minnesota. As a reminder, SHVS authored an article for Health Affairs Forefront examining state efforts to cancel medical debt.
- Nebraska – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced it has successfully implemented Avel eCare’s EMS telemedicine services. Ambulances in more than two dozen rural communities across the state are now equipped with Avel eCare’s telemedicine technology, virtually connecting EMTs and paramedics with Avel eCare’s emergency physicians, paramedics, and nurses for support during transports.
- New Jersey
- Gregory Woods has been named as the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, which administers NJ FamilyCare, the state Medicaid program. Congratulations Greg!
- The Department of Human Services, Department of Children and Families, and the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority announced a new student loan redemption program to support home and community-based care workers. Eligible workers can receive up to $50,000 in loan relief in exchange for one year of service at an approved home and community-based services provider agency or as a self-directed employee.
- New York – Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a new law requiring employers to provide 30 minutes of paid break time for breast milk expression went into effect June 19. This mandate applies whenever employees have a reasonable need to express breast milk and extends up to three years following childbirth.
- North Carolina – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services launched a new, multilingual Disaster and Behavioral Health Resources Communications Toolkit to provide communities with guidance and resources to support mental and emotional health before, during and after a disaster.
- Rhode Island – The Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) released the individual, small group, and large group market premium rates requested by Rhode Island’s insurers. Requested average rate increases range from 5.6% to 14.3% in the individual market, from 8.8% to 22.7% in the small group market, and from 2.5% to 14.9% in the large group market. OHIC’s final decision to approve, modify, or reject the proposed rates is expected in August.
- Virginia – The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services will host a series of community stakeholder meetings to learn more about how to collectively support current and potential members.