State Health Updates

• Alaska – The Alaska Department of Health (DOH) hosted a webinar on the state’s approach to implementing the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Speakers from DOH and the Alaska Community Foundation, who will be the subrecipient administrator, discussed how organizations can begin engaging with the program by registering and submitting a letter of interest. A recap document, Q&A, and slide deck are available. 
• Arizona – The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) shared an update on its Medicaid Enterprise System Modernization Program, which includes efforts to enhance several systems which prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse within Medicaid services; the launch of a streamlined way to engage with AHCCCS through a new Customer Service System; and more. 
• California 
  • Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 106, granting $90 million in one-time emergency funds for Planned Parenthood and other clinics providing reproductive healthcare services following the funding prohibition in H.R.1. This announcement follows the $145 million California has provided to support Planned Parenthood since last fall.
  • The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is coordinating a statewide Smile, California bilingual outreach campaign to help children and families understand the importance of early and regular dental care and to encourage the use of free Medi-Cal Dental preventive services. The campaign includes English and Spanish-language materials that explain what families can expect during dental visits and how to access care under Medi-Cal.
• Colorado – The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) issued a statement on Medicaid data shared with CMS, noting that while HCPF does not share information with federal immigration officials, it cannot directly control what CMS shares. The statement explains that according to a recent court ruling, CMS may share information about people who are not lawfully residing in the U.S. but cannot share information about anyone who is lawfully in the U.S. Further, “HCPF opposes the use of Medicaid information for federal immigration enforcement because it could discourage people from accessing the healthcare they need.”
• Connecticut – The Office of the State Comptroller released a 2026 Healthcare Cabinet Report aimed at providing a roadmap to fortify and protect the state’s healthcare ecosystem amid the loss of federal subsidies and major changes to Medicaid and SNAP.  
• Delaware – Governor Matt Meyer announced that requests for proposals (RFPs) are now open for four initiatives under Delaware’s RHTP plan. Additional RFPs are expected to be released in the spring.
• Maine – CoverME.gov, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, announced preliminary data from the 2026 open enrollment period indicate declining enrollment and increased affordability pressures that may affect coverage stability for consumers and the broader health insurance system. The state’s Marketplace saw its lowest overall participation levels since it was launched in 2021 and a notable increase in active plan selection among re-enrollees indicating increased consumer engagement amid significant increases in premiums and more typical annual changes in plan options.
• Minnesota 
  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that the state expects to have a complete automated system to review fee-for-service Medicaid claims before they are paid, flagging items that need additional review before they are paid, in place by the end of the year. Additionally, DHS launched a new fact check webpage to correct misleading information and false claims about Medicaid fraud in Minnesota.
  • MNsure, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, announced that enrollment fell by 8% during the open enrollment period and a record-setting number of Minnesotans contacted MNsure to navigate the changes in premiums. MNsure saw an 87% increase in the number of enrollees who switched health insurance plans this year. Most of those who made a change went with a lower-cost option.
• New Mexico – The New Mexico Health Care Authority announced that health insurance enrollment increased 17% in New Mexico. The enrollment increase, the largest in the nation, is driven by New Mexico’s Health Care Affordability Fund, which has helped keep premiums and out-of-pocket costs low despite federal subsidy reductions. The fund helps offset the loss of federal tax credits and maintains affordable coverage options for New Mexicans. 
• New York
  • Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York State Department of Health joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), strengthening the state’s role in global public health preparedness and response. GOARN is a global network of over 300 technical institutions and networks that provide rapid outbreak detection, verification, and response.
  • Governor Hochul signed legislation S.138/A.136 that will allow medical aid in dying to be available to terminally ill New Yorkers with less than six months to live.
• North Carolina – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) released a report detailing progress increasing access to quality mental health, developmental disability, and substance-use services. The year-one progress report on the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services 2024-2029 strategic plan highlights achievements in seven priority areas geared toward creating a comprehensive mental healthcare system that works for everyone.
• Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek announced that the Oregon Health Authority is issuing $4 million in grants to organizations to help retain and recruit behavioral health providers in high-need communities across Oregon. The funding is from House Bill 2024, which was passed by the Oregon Legislature last year.
• Pennsylvania – Pennie, the state’s official health insurance Marketplace, concluded its 2026 open enrollment period with enrollment totaling around 486,000 and with adverse effects from unprecedented cost increases. A doubling of premium costs caused around 85,000 Pennsylvanians to drop coverage, meaning that nearly 1 in 5 enrollees were unable to keep their health plan for 2026.
• Washington – The Washington Health Benefit Exchange released its preview report outlining preliminary data and outcomes from open enrollment for 2026. Nearly 39,000 fewer customers received advance premium tax credits during this open enrollment than last year and many experienced a doubling or tripling of their premiums this year and faced hard decisions about whether or not to stay covered.