State Health Updates

• California – Governor Gavin Newsom announced an additional $107 million in awards to communities to prevent gun violence. With 42 grants to cities, counties, community-based organizations, and tribal governments across California, the funding, known as the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program, will support proven, community-driven strategies to reduce shootings, homicides, and retaliatory violence.
• Colorado – Governor Jared Polis announced that Colorado will pursue joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). GOARN is a WHO-coordinated global partnership of more than 360 public health institutions, laboratories, and response organizations that work together to detect, verify, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.
• Connecticut – Access Health CT, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, announced a record number of residents enrolled during the state’s open enrollment period. The state’s Temporary Premium Assistance, announced in December, helped lessen the impact of the expired enhanced premium tax credits.
• Illinois – Governor Pritzker announced that the state has erased over $1.1 billion in medical debt for more than half a million Illinoisans through the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program. Illinois will continue to use the remaining program funds—approximately $5 million—to acquire and relieve outstanding, un-payable medical debt. SHVS has updated our map tracking state medical debt cancellation efforts.
• New Mexico – The New Mexico Senate passed House Bill 4 to increase revenue to the state’s Health Care Affordability Fund, sending the measure to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who intends to sign it. The bill comes as expiring federal tax credits and Medicaid cuts threaten to price tens of thousands of New Mexicans out of coverage.
• New York
  • Governor Kathy Hochul announced $6.5 million in increased funding to support Choose Healthy Life, a program dedicated to expanding access and strengthening health services in underserved communities through the Black church. Through its network of 30 Black churches, Choose Healthy Life has engaged more than 200,000 New Yorkers by hosting community wellness events and providing health screenings, vaccinations and preventative health services.
  • New York State of Health (NYSOH), the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, announced that United Hospital Fund (UHF) will be hosting a series of roundtables dedicated to addressing the implementation challenges presented by H.R.1. NYSOH and UHF previously brought together the community for a series of convenings to address challenges during the public health emergency unwinding.
• Oregon – The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has awarded $25 million in public health equity grants to 125 nonprofit organizations to support work on community-led and culturally and linguistically responsive programs. The funding comes through OHA’s Partnerships for Community Health Program. 
• Washington – The Washington State Health Care Authority created a webpage on H.R.1 impacts for legislators, partners, and other stakeholders. Additionally, the changes coming to Apple Health webpage contains information for Medicaid enrollees on how H.R.1 may impact their coverage. 
• West Virginia – The West Virginia Department of Health today announced the official launch of new executive leadership for the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The Department of Health is hiring additional team members and advancing implementation efforts, including finalizing requests for proposals, establishing procurement pathways, and accelerating program rollout. The Department is also finalizing the RHTP Advisory Panel of clinical, operational, and community leaders who will help guide strategy and ensure accountability.