State Health Updates

• California – The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) hosted a briefing on the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), including an overview of the state’s stakeholder engagement, timelines, Rural Health Policy Council, and next steps. HCAI also published frequently asked questions on the RHTP. As a reminder, SHVS continues tracking state RHTP implementation: this expert perspective identifies the state agencies leading RHTP work and includes links to state RHTP webpages.
• Maryland – The Department of Health met with stakeholders to discuss the potential benefits of the RHTP on the state’s agricultural economy, and hosted a rural health workforce roundtable. 
• Massachusetts – Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order to establish a statewide strategy to better support adults with profound autism, or adults who are over 22 years old with diagnosed autism spectrum disorder and require 24-hour support and assistance due to significant intellectual disabilities and limited or no language skills. The executive order aims to improve coordination across state agencies, promote innovation and advance outcomes for adults with profound autism and their families.
• Michigan – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced the release of a new sickle cell disease (SCD) strategic plan. The 2026–2030 Strategic Plan is guided by community input, amplifies the voices of those most affected by the disease and outlines strategies to raise awareness, expand access to care and therapies, and strengthen public health surveillance. The plan builds on the foundation laid by Michigan’s first SCD strategic plan, launched in 2015.
• Minnesota – CMS approved Minnesota’s program integrity corrective action plan (CAP), which the state submitted in response to CMS’ proposed compliance action that could have withheld over $500 million in federal Medicaid funding every quarter. In light of the accepted CAP, CMS has proposed to suspend the compliance action. The separate enforcement action CMS initiated in late February to defer $260 million in federal payments for claims the state had already paid—which the state challenged in court—remains pending.
• Mississippi – Governor Tate Reeves signed legislation to establish a pilot program to exempt small community hospitals from certificate of need requirements. 
• Missouri – The Missouri Department of Social Services established a Rural Health Transformation Office (RHTO) within the MO HealthNet Division and announced the appointment of Joseph Miller as Director of the office. The RHTO was created to provide centralized leadership, coordination, and technical support for rural hospitals, clinics, and behavioral health providers participating in the RHTP. 
• New Mexico – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that rural healthcare providers can now apply for a share of $50 million in funding as part of the state’s three-year, $146 million investment that has helped recruit more than 800 healthcare workers to underserved communities. The funding comes from New Mexico’s Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, established in 2023 and most recently replenished during the October 2025 special legislative session.
• New York
  • CMS approved New York’s request to terminate its section 1332 state innovation waiver and return to Basic Health Program authority. The transition preserves Essential Plan coverage for approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. Approximately 450,000 New Yorkers with higher incomes will become ineligible for the Essential Plan due to H.R.1, and will instead be eligible for qualified health plans beginning July 1, 2026.
  • Governor Kathy Hochul announced the release of a new online training for mental health professionals who work with first responders such as 911 dispatchers, law enforcement, emergency medical technicians and firefighters. The First Responder Mental Health and Cultural Awareness Training features content on first responder culture, mental health challenges and barriers that may prevent first responders from seeking mental health treatment.
• North Carolina – Governor Josh Stein led the second in a series of Rural Listening Sessions, alongside business leaders, local elected officials, and other leaders. The governor and cabinet secretaries are embarking on this listening tour to hear directly from rural North Carolinians about their concerns and priorities to help focus the administration’s rural efforts, including healthcare. 
• Tennessee – On March 31, the Tennessee Department of Health will host an information session on new funding opportunities in the Tennessee RHTP for health leaders, partners, and stakeholders.
• AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, GU, IL, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NM, NY, OR, PA, RI, WA & WI – Governors in 19 states representing the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition of governors working to protect and expand access to reproductive care, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy urging the immediate renewal of Title X family planning grants, warning that a lapse in funding will cut off access to critical reproductive healthcare for millions.