State Health Updates

• Arkansas – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the initial application process is underway for $209 million in funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The initial funding awards will be centered on the Telehealth, Health‑Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative. THRIVE will expand telehealth access, strengthen emergency medical response systems, and deploy remote patient monitoring technologies. As a reminder, SHVS is tracking state RHTP implementation; this expert perspective identifies the state agencies leading RHTP work and includes links to state RHTP webpages.   
• California – Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in California, to launch a first-in-the-nation program to provide free diapers to all new babies born in California. Beginning this summer, every newborn delivered in a participating California hospital will receive 400 diapers at no cost to the family at the time of discharge. The first year of the program will prioritize hospitals that serve large numbers of Medi-Cal patients so that low-income families benefit early from the program, with plans to scale across additional hospitals and birthing centers over time.
• Colorado
  • Lieutenant Governor and Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, Dianne Primavera, joined state leaders and national health policy experts for a virtual press conference hosted by Protect Our Care to discuss a new report detailing how changes to Medicaid from H.R.1 are increasing pressure on state budgets and making it harder for people to access care.
  • Governor Jared Polis signed HB26-1244, which will provide scholarships and training opportunities for healthcare workers in nursing homes, ensuring families receive quality care while helping fill in-demand jobs.
• Kansas – The Kansas Department of Health & Environment published a Frequently Asked Questions document related to the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Program, part of the state’s RHTP. The EBP program aims to help rural hospitals and clinics build and maintain the infrastructure needed to implement and sustain evidence-based practices.
• Maryland – The Maryland Department of Health has launched a Maryland Weather-Related Illnes​s Data Dashboard to provide a weekly snapshot of health data during the heat and cold seasons. The dashboard is updated every Wednesday with data on emergency department visits, emergency medical services (EMS) calls and weather-related deaths.
• Minnesota – Governor Tim Walz announced a restructuring of leadership at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to ensure stability and continue to strengthen oversight and improve program delivery. Under the new structure, John Connolly will serve as the temporary commissioner of DHS and Shireen Gandhi will remain at DHS as deputy commissioner to oversee Medicaid programming for the immediate future.
• Missouri – The Missouri Department of Social Services launched the Inside the Missouri Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Newsletter. The newsletter will provide regular updates on progress across program pillars and key milestones, summaries of decisions shaping the RHTP, and ways to stay involved.
• Montana – The Department of Public Health and Human Services announced that it is seeking qualified individuals to serve on the 20-member Montana RHTP Center of Excellence (CoE) Advisory Council. The purpose of the Advisory Council is to develop recommendations to align care delivery services with rural health needs at the county, tribal, and facility level.
• Nebraska – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging residents to participate in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, which is gathering insights into the health and well-being of Nebraskans.
• New Jersey
  • New Jersey Human Services published an analysis of key direct impacts of H.R.1 in the state including Medicaid enrollment reductions, healthcare provider impacts, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment reductions and governmental cost shifts.
  • Governor Mikie Sherrill and Department of Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha are calling for Congress and the Trump administration to eliminate or delay harmful SNAP cost shift provisions tied to USDA’s Payment Error Rate. If these changes are not at least delayed until FFY2030, the cost burden could jeopardize the state’s progress in combating food insecurity and create unnecessary barriers for residents accessing food assistance.
• New Mexico – The New Mexico Health Care Authority released a request for proposals to find a vendor for the Center for Rural Health Sustainability & Innovation that will provide technical assistance, shared services, and partnership support to rural, frontier and tribal health providers across the state. The center is a cornerstone initiative of the state’s RHTP.
• North Carolina
  • The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) published 2024 death data showing an all-time low infant mortality rate and a sharp decrease in overdose-related deaths. During this same year, the state marked major investments in health with Medicaid expansion, historic behavioral health funding, and national opioid settlement funding.
  • The NCDHHS Division of Aging is partnering with the state area agencies on aging and local service providers to distribute fans to eligible recipients through Operation Fan Heat Relief. For more information on state efforts to mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat, see this Health Affairs Forefront article.
• North Dakota – North Dakota Health and Human Services announced a RHTP strategist. In his new role, Dr. David Hunnicutt will guide strategic planning for the RHTP, aiming to bring clarity, alignment, and a systems-level perspective to ensure North Dakota maximizes the impact of its funding. 
• Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek signed bills aimed at strengthening Oregon’s behavioral health workforce and expanding access to mental health and substance-use disorder services. The legislation includes House Bill 4083 which streamlines Medicaid credentialing so qualified workers can start serving patients sooner and reduces administrative burden so providers can spend more time focused on clients; and House Bill 4069 which requires employers to develop and implement written safety policies and plans for the physical safety of behavioral health workers. The governor also signed Senate Bill 1546 which requires AI chatbot operators to disclose artificial interactions and implement safeguards to protect users, especially minors, from self-harm or suicidal ideation.
• South Dakota – The state’s RHTP initiative has released the next round of request for proposals (RFPs) focused on strengthening rural, tribal, and frontier healthcare systems through digital health modernization, coordinated delivery of care methods, and project management. Three new RFPs include the Doula Workforce Advancement Program, the Statewide Maternal Health Access and Services Assessment, and Rural Health Forward. 
• Texas – Governor Greg Abbott announced the Texas Health and Human Services Commission is making $56 million in federal funding available to rural healthcare providers. As part of the state’s RHTP, the Rural Texas Strong plan, the grant opportunity will help healthcare providers update critical equipment and infrastructure.
• Washington – The Washington Health Benefit Exchange released its 2026 spring enrollment report which shows that the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits resulted in nearly a 13% decrease in qualified health plan enrollees compared to last year. At the end of open enrollment, nearly 40,000 fewer people signed up than last year. Now, with information about who has paid for their coverage, another 14% of Washingtonians have dropped their health insurance.
• AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, VA, VT & WA – A group of states filed an amicus brief urging reversal of a recent federal appeals court decision that restricts access to medication abortion by blocking the mailing of mifepristone prescriptions.