Senate subcommittee reports package of health bills to full committee A Senate subcommittee in Richmond voted to report a bundle of House health and administration bills — covering patient data holds, Medicaid waivers, pool safety, telehealth eConsults and other measures — to the full Senate committee after testimony and largely unanimous roll calls.

A Virginia Senate subcommittee has taken a significant step by advancing a package of health bills aimed at enhancing patient privacy and safety, including proposals for Medicaid policy and hospital reporting systems.

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#VA #CitizenPortal #HealthcareSafety #MedicaidPolicy

Basic Care study group weighs licensure and payment changes; HCBS waiver option debated DHHS work group reviewed basic care and assisted-living differences, payment-method risks (inflation gaps, census drop), and the prospect of moving basic care to a 1915(c) HCBS waiver to expand service options — but members warned about CMS scrutiny under the HCBS settings rule.

North Dakota is at a crossroads with its basic care funding and licensure, as proposed changes could reshape long-term residential options, but risks remain looming from federal scrutiny.

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#ND #NorthDakotaBasicCare #AssistedLivingRegulations #CitizenPortal #MedicaidPolicy

Nebraska hospitals and DHHS spar over bill to block Medicaid "downcoding" LB942 would prohibit Medicaid managed care organizations from retroactively downgrading emergency and short inpatient claims and apply the Medicare "2‑midnight" inpatient standard to Medicaid. Hospitals say retrospective denials have cost hundreds of thousands locally; DHHS warns the change could conflict with federal rules and risk improper payments.

Nebraska hospitals are fighting back against Medicaid "downcoding" that has cost them hundreds of thousands, with a new bill aiming to protect vital emergency care funding.

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#NE #CitizenPortal #MedicaidPolicy #EmergencyCare #HealthcareReform

Providers seek delay of long‑term care under Medicaid managed care, citing payment and access risks Long‑term care providers urged the Health and Human Services Committee to delay adding long‑term services to Medicaid managed care, arguing managed care in other states caused claim denials, payment delays and clawbacks; DHHS and MCO representatives opposed a moratorium and said managed care can improve coordination and home‑and‑community services.

Nebraska's long-term care providers are raising alarms over potential payment delays and access risks under the proposed Medicaid managed care changes—could this impact the future of care in the state?

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#NE #ElderlySupport #MedicaidPolicy #HealthcareReform #CitizenPortal

📖 Full piece on @alisterfmartin.bsky.social 's Substack: buildingahealthierdemocracy.substack.com/p/er-case-fi...

#MedicaidPolicy #HealthEquity #AdministrativeBurden #AHealthierDemocracy #PolicyIsPersonal #PublicHealth #HealthcareAccess

Oregon House health committee hears wide-ranging LC 241 omnibus bill; parent-paid caregiver proposal draws intense scrutiny Committee introduced LC 241 as a committee bill and held an informational hearing on about 20 health-related provisions, from PDN reporting and wheelchair repair prior authorization to dentist-network rules and a disputed proposal to allow parents of children on the CEN waiver to be paid as personal support workers.

The Oregon House health committee is diving deep into a controversial omnibus bill with sweeping changes, including a debate over whether parents should be paid as caregivers for their children with extraordinary needs.

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#OR #LongTermCare #MedicaidPolicy

Senate Health & Welfare hears Legislative Counsel review of 2025 health acts, from market unmerging to medical debt relief Legislative counsel Jen Garvey briefed the Senate Health & Welfare committee on a package of 2025 health-related acts, highlighting permanent unmerging of individual and small-group insurance markets, new Medicaid rate-setting requirements for community-based providers, a $1 million medical debt-relief appropriation, and temporary powers for the Green Mountain Care Board to address insurer insolvency.

Vermont's Senate Health & Welfare committee just received a game-changing briefing on 2025 health acts, including the historic unmerging of insurance markets and a $1 million medical debt relief initiative!

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#VT #HealthInsuranceReform #VermontHealth #MedicaidPolicy

HCPF: CMS has asked for more info on state plan amendments; agency seeks feedback on VNS reimbursement and will publish IME fact sheet HCPF told hospitals several state plan amendments (including July 1 rebasing and 340B changes) are in 'request for additional information' status with CMS; the department is seeking provider feedback on VNS reimbursement after a Senate bill was postponed and said it will issue a shareable fact sheet addressing IME questions.

State plan amendments affecting hospital rates are stuck in limbo with CMS, while the department seeks urgent feedback on VNS device reimbursement after a postponed Senate bill.

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#CO #AccessToCare #MedicaidPolicy #HealthcareReform #CitizenPortal

Senate committee votes to ITL on Senate Bill 123‑FN citing budget shortfalls and limited evidence for acupuncture in Medicaid A Senate committee voted to indefinitely postpone action on Senate Bill 123‑FN after members raised budget concerns and said available evidence does not show auricular acupuncture meets Medicaid medical‑necessity standards.

A Senate committee in New Hampshire has voted to indefinitely postpone a bill that would have allowed Medicaid coverage for acupuncture, citing significant budget shortfalls and insufficient medical evidence.

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#NH #CitizenPortal #AcupunctureEvidence #MedicaidPolicy

CMS just released the 2025-26 #MedicaidManagedCare Rate Development Guide, a resource for states to use when setting capitation rates with managed care plans.

Learn more: www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/man...

#Medicaid #ManagedCare #MedicaidPolicy

Nevada Legislature passes SB497 to change Medicaid reimbursement for behavioral services SB497 alters Medicaid reimbursement rates for applied behavioral analysis services in Nevada.

Major changes are coming to Medicaid reimbursement rates for applied behavioral analysis services in Nevada with the passage of SB497!

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#NV #CitizenPortal #MentalHealthServices #HealthcareReform #MedicaidPolicy #NevadaBehavioralHealth