Transcript Highlights:

• in the new contracts related to how persons with developmental disabilities receive their medical coverage
• lists of real services, because that first slide just illustrated the fact that it was comprehensive coverage
• The lesson learned about coverage and service providers is a little bit obscured, but there are some
• The benefits available through the managed care plan include medical coverage, standard long-term care
• coverage, and the 27 home and community-based services."

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee received an overview of Florida’s intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) managed care pilot, created by legislation in 2023 to test whether a managed care model could integrate Medicaid medical services with iBudget waiver home- and community-based services for adults in pre-enrollment categories. AHCA explained the existing system, the pilot’s scope in Regions D and I, and the rollout timeline, including federal approval, contract execution with Florida Community Care, and the October 2024 go-live. Officials reported that, as of early February, 370 individuals had been sent for onboarding and 168 more were in queue, with about $35.8 million of the appropriation remaining. APD also clarified the difference between the pre-enrollment categories and the waiver waitlist, and noted that crisis cases can be enrolled more quickly depending on eligibility and funding. Florida Community Care described the pilot as a comprehensive managed care model offering medical, long-term care, and iBudget services, plus enhanced benefits such as bed-hold days, caregiver transportation, and help with legal guardianship costs. The plan said it uses one care coordinator, a 1:18 coordinator ratio, a face-to-face assessment within five days of enrollment, and 180 days of continuity of care for existing providers. The company emphasized that it is recruiting providers by offering higher rates than some iBudget rates, lower administrative burden, and network adequacy incentives, while APD said it continues to monitor provider supply and demand and recruit across service types and regions. Members repeatedly questioned whether the pilot’s costs, provider rates, and service levels were truly comparable to the iBudget system, and AHCA and APD said it was too early to draw firm conclusions because claims data are still lagging. Committee members also raised concerns about communication, enrollment delays, provider shortages, and whether the pilot could scale statewide. APD said it has used letters, phone calls, texts, emails, and community meetings to reach eligible individuals, and that some delays stem from required assessments, Medicaid eligibility checks, and level-of-care determinations. Several members asked for more detailed comparisons of costs and provider reimbursement between the pilot and iBudget, and APD said it would provide additional data. Public testimony at the end was strongly critical of managed care, with a participant and his mother describing poor service, transportation failures, and loss of control under prior managed care arrangements, and urging the committee not to expand such a model without safeguards. No votes or formal committee action were taken before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the House proceedings for political or commercial purposes
• Any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the House proceedings for political or commercial purposes

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, March 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't have coverage for other things, and that seems troubling to me. Okay. All right.
• They don't have coverage for other things, and that seems troubling to me.
• They don't have coverage for other things, and that seems troubling to me. Need to have insurance.
• They don't have coverage for other things, and that seems troubling to me.
• They don't have coverage for other things, and that seems troubling to me.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• An act to amend the insurance law in relation to requiring health insurance policies to include coverage
• for doula services as required coverage for maternity care.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Women’s Issues Committee met on March 25 at 9:38 a.m. with a quorum present, including Senators Baskin, Serrano, Scarcella-Spanton, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Stavisky, and Weik. The committee considered several public health and insurance bills focused on women’s reproductive and maternal health, with Senator April Baskin and Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick present for the meeting. The bills discussed were S.3578, establishing a uterine fibroids awareness and education program; S.56658, establishing a dual awareness and education program; S.494, requiring health insurance coverage for doula services as maternity care; S.862, creating doula-friendly work spaces; and S.9076, directing the Department of Health to create an informational pamphlet on intrauterine devices. Members asked no substantive questions during the meeting, and the measures were generally advanced by motion and second. All five bills were reported out of committee and moved to first reading. On S.494, Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick voted without recommendation; the other bills were approved without recorded opposition. The meeting then adjourned after the final bill was advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• We delayed cuts to immigrant health coverage, dental, and clinic payments until July of 2027.
• Megan, from the Department of Finance: The bill maintains coverage for those individuals in the budget
• year, but it... ...maintains coverage for those individuals in the budget year.
• The bill maintains Medi-Cal coverage for those individuals' full-scope in the budget year, but delays
• And so the... ...level in terms of their eligibility for federal coverage.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To be exact, 10 million Americans will lose their coverage, according to CBO.
• chaos and dramatically increase the number of desperately ill people who will lose their health coverage
• After the attack, terrorism risk insurance all but disappeared and any coverage that could be found was
• It requires insurance companies to make standalone terrorism coverage available to their clients, who
• Speaker, well in advance of any loss or gap in coverage. And we know it's important.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 29, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And to Chair's point, we're facing an insurance nightmare of people losing coverage, and when they don't
• have coverage, they need to know where they can go and get that coverage so that 15% should be front
• coverage they need to know where they coverage they need to know where they can<00:58:38.880> go
• c><00:58:39.000> and<00:58:39.120> get<00:58:39.320> that<00:58:39.520> coverage
• so that 15% can go and get that coverage so that 15% should<00:58:40.920> be<00:58:41.040>

Bills: HB20, HB276, HB644, HB812, HB816, HB916, HB1131, HB1247, HB1518, HB1525, HB1537, HB1541, HB1546, HB1553, HB1562, HB1565, HB1566, HB1576, HB1577, HB1591, HB1605, HB1612, HB1613, HB1614, HB1618, HB1620, HB1650, HB1656, HB1658, HB1661, HB1664, HB1668, HB1676, HB1707, HB1711, HB1713, HB1715, HB1718, HB1727, HB1749, HB1756, HB1774, HB1776, HB1801, HB1802, HB1805, HB1813, HB1815, HB1831, HB1838, HB1853, HB1854, HB1859, HB1863, HB1871, HB1872, HB1918, HB1920, HB1952, HB1965, HB1966, HB1967, HB1969, HB1972, HB1973, HB1974, HB1975, HB1980, HB1985, HB2005, HB2023, HB2031, HB2033, HB2062, HB2113, HB2114, HB2116, HB2138, HB2139, HB2156, HB2158, HB2159, HB2171, HB2208, HB2268, HB2270, HB2272, HB2273, HB2276, HB2289, HB2310, HB2315, HB2335, HB2338, HB2339, HB2340, HB2343, HB2361, HB2384, HB2387, SB2338, SB2431, SB2438, SB2593, SB2907, SB2671, SB2321, SB3084, SB2401, SB3033, SB2972, SB3032, SB2806, SB3014, SB2108, SB2981, SB2973, SB2423, SB2078, SB2322, SB2397, SB2896, SB2088, SB2347, SB2408, SB2970, SB2851, SB2713, SB2697, SB2312, SB2192, SB2363, SB2530, SB3028, SB2024, SB3007, SB2599, SB2596, SB2662, SB2930, SB3334, SB2378, SB3019, SB3231, SB2240, SB2372, SB2175, SB2046, SB2298, SB2922, SB2835, SB3263, SB2174, SB2128, SB2006, SB2489, SB3134, SB2982, SB2425, SB2849, SB2797, SB2795, SB2575, SB2521, SB2765, SB2386, SB2852, SB2022, SB2117, SB2277, SB2387, SB2688, SB2885, SB3132, SB3219, SB2169, SB2591, SB2090, SB2983, SB888, SB3249, SB2611, SB2429, SB2463, SB3154, SB3131, SB3152, SB3315, SB2448, SB2054, SB2140, SB2520, SB2377, SB2986, SB2010, SB2189, SB2026, SB3010, SB2818, SB2002

Keywords: lava insurance, homeowners, insurance market, subsidy, Hawaii, condominiums, annual report, filing fee, real estate, developer, residency, property regime, PFAS, single-use plastics, environmental health, food ware, pollution reduction, local produce, agriculture, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• It didn't make a pronouncement about coverage or benefits or eligibility, which the legislature has to
• You did not change Medicaid benefits coverage or eligibility.
• You did not change Medicaid benefits coverage or eligibility.
• >> Now I think, legally, I think that when the General Assembly tinkers at all with eligibility, coverage
• , coverage, benefits or reimbursement<00:26:27.200> is<00:26:27.440> in<00:26:27.760>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on February 24, 2026, with a quorum present and took up one bill, House Bill 470. The bill sponsor and supporters described it as a cleanup measure to House Bill 505 that would extend the deadline for peer support specialists in the substance use field to become registered, because the earlier regulations were not promulgated in time and employers and workers were left in limbo. Supporters said the bill includes an emergency clause to stabilize the workforce and creates a working group to recommend a more effective oversight structure, possibly a new board, by November 1. They argued the extension would preserve access to services, allow providers to continue billing for peer support, and give the state time to address regulatory backlogs and workforce shortages. Several supporters emphasized that peer support is a critical part of recovery services and that the current system needs better infrastructure, accountability, and uniform standards. They said the bill would help prevent fraud and abuse by tightening guardrails while allowing qualified peers to keep working. One supporter said the bill would close the door on higher-level billing abuses and that other Medicaid-related efforts were also underway to address improper billing practices. Another witness said the bill would allow people who completed certification to continue serving and would help providers retain staff and get reimbursed. Senator McDaniel raised concerns that the bill might simply extend the period during which abuse of the peer recovery model could continue, rather than fixing the underlying problems. In response, the sponsors said House Bill 505 already imposed tighter training requirements and that this bill only extends the registration deadline while other efforts, including managed care organization limits and broader Medicaid reforms, are addressing abuse. Senator Howell asked about barriers to registration, and witnesses said the problem was a mix of supply-demand issues, workload, and some applicants’ reluctance to take the test. Senator Berg supported the bill as necessary to ensure proper billing and accountability, while Senator Meredith said the committee was missing key information from the cabinet and suggested it may be premature to act without hearing from the agency. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• are made to managed care organizations on behalf of all of the people in the gold-plated Cadillac coverage
• are made to managed care organizations on behalf of all of the people in the gold-plated Cadillac coverage
• are made to managed care organizations on behalf of all of the people in the gold-plated Cadillac coverage
• <00:17:25.280> here<00:17:25.520> in that have redundant coverages here in that have
• redundant coverages here in the<00:17:25.839> state<00:17:26.000> of<00:17:26.160>

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate Republican leaders held a press event to roll out a package of anti-fraud proposals focused on state welfare and human services programs. Mark Johnson opened by citing recent fraud scandals, including a shuttered housing program and reports of vulnerable adults being left without care while providers billed for full services, and said Republicans want top-down reform, stronger accountability, new technology, and tighter oversight of taxpayer dollars. Michael Kreun said Republicans support an independent Office of Inspector General and argued the Senate-passed bill should not be weakened in the House; he also said the Senate should restore its role in confirming agency commissioners, especially at DHS, which he described as central to the fraud problem. Jordan Rasmusson outlined a plan to stop “blank checks” for DHS and DCYF services by requiring legislative audit review when a program exceeds budget by 5 percent and legislative approval for additional spending at 10 percent over budget. He also said DHS should adopt basic integrity tools such as electronic visit verification and client sign-off. Steve Drazkowski described two bills: a statewide “do-not-pay” list to block payments to ineligible people or entities, and an “I’m Not a Robot” proposal for Medicaid managed care that would require enrollee verification forms, with a 2 percent payment withhold used to encourage compliance and potentially fund county system upgrades. Mark Krueger said the state should improve technology and data use for eligibility determinations, citing other states’ rapid fraud-fighting systems, and proposed penalties for false reporting to the Legislative Auditor after a DHS audit found falsified site-visit records. Steve Gruenhagen said his bill would require DHS and DCYF to resume annual fraud-prevention and oversight reports to the legislature, which he said had stopped after 2017 despite rising fraud cases. Michael Holmstrom proposed unannounced site visits for all DHS and DCYF providers before enrollment, reenrollment, and revalidation, funded through provider service fees, and cited a recent case involving a woman with autism who was billed for far more care than she received. In the Q&A, Kreun said House Democrats’ delete-everything amendment to the inspector general bill removed the law enforcement division and stripped the bill of its “teeth,” and he suggested the governor’s office may have been involved in efforts to replace the bill with a weaker coordination council model. No votes were taken in the press conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it looks like, if I had to take a guess, the coverage populations, the similarities between this
• um if I had to take a guess,<00:31:16.159> the<00:31:16.320> the<00:31:16.799> coverage
• <00:31:17.279> populations guess, the the coverage populations guess, the the coverage populations
• <00:32:18.080> of<00:32:18.320> Medicaid already n high 90% coverage of Medicaid already
• n high 90% coverage of Medicaid and<00:32:19.519> it<00:32:19.840> doesn't<00:32:20.159

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Government Contracts Committee first approved the minutes from its July 8 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and deferred items. The committee deferred a Kentucky Education Television contract because the vendor was still not registered with the Secretary of State, and also deferred a University of Louisville contract to the September meeting at the university’s request. Both motions passed by roll call. The committee then took up a contract with the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for Seven Counties Services. Committee members questioned why the state continues funding the provider despite its ongoing bankruptcy tied to unpaid retirement contributions, how the funding split is determined, whether the state had explored other providers or direct state delivery, and whether all services in the contract are truly required by statute. Agency officials said Seven Counties is the statutorily designated community mental health center for the region, serves about 24,500 people, and provides core safety-net services that would be difficult to replace; they also said the bankruptcy dispute is still ongoing and the contested amount is about $20 million. The committee ultimately deferred the contract to the next meeting and requested additional information on the scope of services and potential offsets or recovery of unfunded liabilities. The final deferred item was a Department for Community Based Services contract with Youth Villages for the Intercept program. DCBS explained that the program is used because it is an approved evidence-based service under the Family First Prevention Services Act, that Youth Villages has Kentucky staff and offices even though it is headquartered in Tennessee, and that the contract is intended to support intensive in-home services, foster care stabilization, and family reunification. Members asked why the services could not be provided in-house, whether Medicaid should cover more of the cost, and whether the state requires the provider to bill Medicaid as a payer of last resort. DCBS said it would verify billing and funding details and provide them back to the committee. The committee then voted to defer the contract to the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1578, a bill to be entitled, An act relating to coverage for mammograms and supplemental
• A bill to be entitled, an act relayed to coverage for mammogram.
• Senate Bill 1578, a bill to be entitled, Nacrelane 2 coverage for mammograms and supplemental breast
• Senate Bill 1160 expands the circumstances in which eligibility for such coverage is provided to include
• Bill 1160 gives some peace of mind to those who protect and serve, that health care coverage for their

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer, and heard several announcements and recognitions, including remarks from the new Democratic caucus leader, Senator Berman, who emphasized bipartisan work on education, health care, the environment, and family issues. The chamber also recognized military leaders, an intern, and guests connected to later bills. No committee reports or executive messages were on the desk at the start of the session. The Senate then took up a series of bills, many of them with House companion substitutions and technical amendments. Major measures included the Pam Rock Act on dangerous dogs, which passed 36-0; a local government land regulation bill that was amended after questions about quasi-judicial hearings, impact fees, and county costs, then passed 26-8; a vessels/boating bill that incorporated related legislation and passed 35-0; a blood clot screening and treatment bill creating the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which passed 36-0; a fleeing or eluding law enforcement bill, amended to remove vehicle impoundment in the House version, which passed 36-0; a concealed carry/firearms bill for certain law enforcement and military personnel, which passed 33-3; and a timeshare management bill, which passed 36-0. The chamber also passed a disability history and awareness instruction bill, the Evan B. Hartzell Act, after extensive debate about language and the meaning of disability versus “unique abilities”; it received 35 co-sponsors and passed 35-0. Other bills passed included manufacturing and related fee legislation, public education on background screening requirements, utility service restrictions, educational opportunities for military children, Medicaid oversight, health facilities authorities, and veteran and spouse nursing home beds, most by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Several bills were temporarily postponed, including measures on human trafficking, waste management, Bright Futures, mammogram coverage, Parkinson’s disease, and others.

Transcript Highlights:

• DJJ is continuing to conduct site visits and assessments to ensure medical and mental health coverage
• for all of our health coverage for all of our facilities<00:15:31.319> we're<00:15:31.600>
• development centers and the detention facilities, and then a certain number of hours per week of coverage
• :17.200> of certain number of hours uh per week of certain number of hours uh per week of coverage
• for the group homes as well coverage for the group homes as well okay<00:24:20.159> yes<00:24

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard an overview from Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Randy White on the state’s juvenile detention network and several facility projects. He identified the currently operating detention centers as Boyd County for females, Breathitt County for low-risk males, Fayette County for high-risk males, Adair County for high-risk youth from Jefferson and surrounding counties, Warren County for high-risk males, and McCracken County for low-risk males. Members asked about capacity and staffing; White said Boyd County houses 33 and is usually near full, Breathitt County is about half full, Fayette County runs about 80-90% full, Campbell County’s operational limit is about 25 due to staffing, Adair County can hold 60 and has hit capacity several times this year, Warren County holds 43 and usually runs near capacity, and McCracken County holds 43 and is not currently full. He said staffing is generally harder in higher-risk facilities and in metropolitan areas because of wages and housing costs. White then updated the committee on the Louisville Detention Center downtown renovation and the Lyon facility project. For the Louisville downtown facility, he said schematic design and design development are complete, construction documents are expected by late February or early March, bids are anticipated in April, and completion is projected for March 2027. He explained the delay is due to extensive renovation work needed to bring the building up to current building, life-safety, ACA, and PREA standards, including security, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, food service, and roof work. The project is designed for 64 beds for high-risk Jefferson County boys, with the facility currently vacant and those youth being housed in Adair County and Campbell County. For the Lyon project, he said the contract was issued November 21, 2024, demolition is underway, completion is expected June 14, 2026, and the facility will have 34 beds in four pods for low-risk offenders; he said the project appears to be on time and on budget within the $4.5 million authorization. The committee also discussed the medical services contract. DJJ officials said they are reviewing whether to continue with the current state contract provider, Wellpath, or pursue an RFP, while retaining current merit staff and continuing oversight through four nurse program administrators. They said DJJ uses a state master agreement to staff nurses, APRNs, and the chief medical officer, and that the current contract is about $20 million per year. Members asked about Wellpath’s bankruptcy filing; officials said they were aware of it, asked questions, and were told it would not affect Kentucky service delivery or contracting, though they could not recall the bankruptcy type and offered to provide more detail later. They also said DJJ is working with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to become a Medicaid provider, and any future contractual partner will need to be a Medicaid provider. Finally, White described the proposed high-acuity juvenile mental health treatment facility. He said DJJ must accept court-ordered youth even when they have severe mental illness, but detention centers are not equipped to treat those youth and private psychiatric hospitals often refuse them or discharge them early. He argued that a dedicated secure treatment facility is needed for a small number of highly violent, high-need youth who require intensive psychiatric care and are disruptive in detention. The facility would provide behavioral and psychiatric treatment, reduce delays caused by lack of beds or outside placements, and serve youth determined by clinical assessment to need a secure treatment environment. No votes were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Expanding presumptive cancer coverage will reflect modern science and medical evidence, provide fairness
• It's not a medical presumptive coverage.
• medical presumptive medical coverage. medical presumptive medical coverage.
• <00:43:35.599> And<00:43:36.000> of coverage for our members."
• And of coverage for our members."

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the October 21 minutes, and then heard a KO presentation focused on county jail funding pressures. KO leaders and county judges said jail costs have become a statewide crisis, noting that county general fund contributions to jail budgets have risen sharply since 2019. They said the organization’s sole legislative priority this session is to “reshape the shared responsibility” for county jails through three main proposals: incentivizing regional jails, clarifying responsibility for pre-trial felony detainees, and changing the model for housing state inmates. On regional jails, KO proposed one-time state construction help for new or expanded regional facilities, allowing former county jails to become 96-hour holdover facilities, changing regional jail authority boards so each participating county jailer can serve, increasing the closed-jail supplement, and offering a one-time payment to counties that close a jail and join a regional plan. On pre-trial felony detainees, Judge Mosley argued counties bear the full cost for people held before trial, sometimes for years, and said counties should be reimbursed for time served credit when those inmates are later sentenced. On state inmates, KO said the current per diem of $35.34 is below the average daily county jail cost of $63.44, and proposed a new contract model requiring the Department of Corrections to pay actual housing costs while counties provide agreed programming such as substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral programming, re-entry services, workforce training, and academic programming. Members asked about the fiscal impact of the package, the feasibility of regional jail population thresholds, and whether the proposal could affect counties’ ability to house federal inmates. KO said regionalization should remain a local decision, that a bill draft and fiscal note were being developed, and that only certain jails are eligible to house federal inmates under existing agreements. Representative Maddox also asked about social media comments by Judge Mosley regarding homeschooling; Mosley said the remarks were unrelated to KO and apologized for any offense. Senator Mills asked what counties would do with savings from jail costs, and judges said the money would likely go to local services such as roads, ambulance service, senior programs, parks, economic development, infrastructure, broadband, and water projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of our towns are barely holding on to their EMS coverage, and without fair reimbursement, we risk
• Many of our towns are barely holding on to their EMS coverage, and without fair reimbursement, we risk
• for health care, property, like coverage for health care, property, and<04:29:17.239> liability.
• <04:30:40.399> without<04:30:40.880> member<04:30:41.279> contributions coverage
• without member contributions coverage without member contributions during<04:30:42.319> a<04:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 297 and a new amendment, 2462, which combined the original Senate bill with the Carson amendment and added a proposed alternative regulatory system, RSA 420R. The chair and members discussed that the amendment was intended to give the Senate what it had asked for while also creating a dual system for public entity risk pools. Members asked whether the new structure would affect ownership or governance of health trusts, and the chair explained that 420R would be a separate regulatory statute while existing 420J-style arrangements could remain in place. The committee also noted that a paragraph had been accidentally deleted from the amendment and that another amendment would be prepared to correct it, with the subcommittee recessed while that was done. Public testimony focused on School Care, represented by Executive Director Lisa Ducette, who opposed the shift to Department of Insurance oversight under 420R. She argued that public entity risk pools are not insurance companies, that they are accountable to member entities and taxpayers, and that the proposed dual regulation would add unnecessary costs through examinations, higher reserves, and additional accounting requirements. She said the change could threaten tax-exempt status and create an uneven playing field, and she urged the committee to support SB 297 with the Carson amendment instead of moving to 420R. Committee members questioned whether the amendment would actually affect pools that stayed under the Secretary of State model, and one member cited support from the New Hampshire Municipal Association for the dual system. The discussion then shifted to amendment 245 on ambulance reimbursement and contracting timelines. Members reviewed a provision giving insurers 45 days and ambulance providers 60 days in the contracting process, and one member suggested making both periods 60 days. The chair and others said the current language was intentional and part of a broader compromise aimed at ending balance billing and forcing insurers to establish reimbursement rates. Members noted that the measure was unusual and that its effects would be reviewed over the next two years, with one member saying the bill would likely be difficult to roll back later. No final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is medically necessary and there should be, you know, coverage for that I in my opinion but this was
• <00:23:08.640> uh<00:23:08.799> in<00:23:09.440> uh excuse me Medicaid coverage
• . uh in uh excuse me Medicaid coverage. uh in uh BAE<00:23:10.240> systems<00:23:10.640> has
• for that I in my be you know coverage for that I in my opinion<00:24:46.799> but<00:24:47.520
• Are there gaps in coverage?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up an insurance-related chronic pain bill and an amendment modeled on language from Massachusetts and Maine. The sponsor explained the amendment was developed after stakeholder meetings because the original bill would have created an unaffordable insurance mandate in New Hampshire. The amendment was intended to improve access to non-opioid therapies by limiting prior authorization and step-therapy barriers so they are not more restrictive than for other treatments, including opioid therapies. After questions, the committee took a straw vote and advanced the amendment. The next item was a department-sponsored bill involving the state’s all-payer claims database. Insurance Department officials explained that the bill would encourage self-funded employer plans to opt in voluntarily by giving them aggregated, deidentified claims information in return. They said self-funded plans cannot be required to report data because of federal law, but the bill would provide an incentive while protecting employee privacy. Members asked detailed questions about who would see the data, whether individual employees could be identified, and how privacy would be enforced; the department said access would be aggregated and deidentified, and employer privacy issues would be governed by ERISA and the U.S. Department of Labor. The committee also discussed a glucose-monitoring bill. Members debated whether the bill was aimed at type 1 diabetes coverage or broader access to continuous glucose monitors, and whether it would amount to an unnecessary insurance mandate that could raise premiums. Department testimony estimated the equipment cost and said the annual impact per member would be modest, but also noted that non-insulin therapies have not consistently shown clinically significant A1C reductions. The chair and some members emphasized that the bill should be considered on its own terms as a CGM coverage issue, not as a general diabetes mandate. The committee discussed the bill’s cost implications and asked the department for any prior cost analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• Permissible coverages that these programs are allowed to write is replicated verbatim from RSA 5B.
• Permissible coverages that these programs are allowed to write is replicated verbatim from RSA 5B.
• The reserve levels are too low for us to continue the coverage model that we offer. assessment which
• <01:41:13.199> The permissible coverages of RSA 5B. The permissible coverages of RSA 5B.
• This allows those models to coverages.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee took up the pooled risk management program bill and reviewed a new amendment drafted with input from the Insurance Department and Legislative Services. Department witnesses explained that the proposal would move oversight of pooled risk management programs from the Secretary of State’s office to the Insurance Department, add a licensure requirement, preserve the programs’ non-insurer status, and exempt them from third-party administrator licensure. They also described a series of solvency tools in the draft, including financial reporting, risk-based capital standards, minimum capitalization, investment limits, commissioner examination and enforcement authority, rulemaking authority, merger and affiliate-transaction review, confidentiality protections, and a separability clause. A major theme of the discussion was that pooled risk management programs differ from commercial insurers because the risk remains with the member local governments rather than being backed by a state guarantee fund. Witnesses said the bill is designed to emphasize solvency over return of premium and to give the Insurance Department a regulatory “toolbox” to prevent insolvency, including a proposed $5 million excess or stop-loss coverage benchmark, optional accessible policies, and a requirement that boards vote on dividends or premium returns when capital exceeds 600% of risk-based capital. Members questioned how this approach differed from the original Secretary of State bill and whether assessments on towns would still be possible; the department responded that the new framework would allow more flexible oversight and alternatives to immediate court action. The committee also discussed why the statute should continue to say the programs are not insurers, with the department explaining that this preserves their autonomy and avoids applying unrelated insurance laws and premium taxes. Members asked about the department’s workload and were told the department believed it could absorb the new duties without additional funding. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:25:30.559> the<00:25:30.679> more the access to coverage the more the access to
• coverage the more expensive<00:25:31.480> the<00:25:31.640> coverage<00:25:32.080>
• , the more expensive the coverage that remains becomes.
• Next up is HB 552, relative to coverage of children under the State Retirees Insurance Plan.
• HB 552, relative to coverage of children under the State Retirees Insurance Plan.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 733-FN, a bill on third-party litigation financing (TPLF). Representative Cole, the prime sponsor, described TPLF as outside investors financing lawsuits in which they have no personal stake, arguing that the practice is largely unregulated, can involve foreign entities, and contributes to litigation abuse, higher insurance costs, and what he called a “tort tax.” He said the bill is modeled on an NCOIL proposal and would require disclosure of TPLF agreements, with specific references to foreign-entity restrictions, consumer-protection guardrails, and reporting requirements. He also noted a few technical fixes to the draft, including adding the word “knowingly” and restoring a section that had been omitted. Committee members questioned how the bill’s foreign-entity language would work, including whether a governor or the Department of Safety would designate countries of concern, and whether the bill would bar foreign parties from using litigation funding. Cole and others clarified that the bill was intended as a reporting measure, not a ban on litigation funding itself, and that the goal was to disclose who is funding lawsuits and to what extent. Representative Sal asked whether the bill would prevent a litigant from getting outside financing; Cole answered no, emphasizing disclosure rather than prohibition. Brandon Grat of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau testified that the bill’s enforcement provisions were too limited. He said the draft appears to give the Attorney General only a civil-penalty remedy, likely too small to deter violations, and not the broader Consumer Protection Act tools such as injunctions, restitution, or investigation authority. He also raised concerns about whether the Attorney General or Insurance Department would have proper jurisdiction, given that the product may be financial or insurance-related. Insurance Commissioner DJ Benton Court said the department sees possible benefits from transparency because disclosure of litigation funding could help insurers assess risk, improve underwriting, and potentially ease hard-market pressures, especially for nonprofits and child care providers. He also said the bill’s language likely needs further work to clarify agency authority and suggested involving the Attorney General, Insurance Department, and banking regulators. Opposition testimony came from the New Hampshire Trial Lawyers Association. Marissa Chase and Samantha Hering argued the bill is one-sided because it requires disclosure only on the plaintiff side and not from defendants or insurers. They said New Hampshire already has court rules and discovery procedures that cover relevant disclosures, making the bill unnecessary, and questioned whether the existence of a funding contract is even relevant in litigation. The hearing ended with the committee continuing to discuss possible revisions and enforcement options, but no vote or final action was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• require comparable access to behavioral health services and medications regardless of your MassHealth coverage
• what this bill would say is if you're on MassHealth, regardless of the MCO, you will get comparable coverage
• So the bill that we have here would basically ensure that for those that are providing coverage to the
• Shatterproof has advocated for Medicaid coverage of the collaborative care codes across the country,

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery held a public hearing on 14 bills focused on insurance, parity, opioids, behavioral health access, and mental health system reform. Chair Mindy Domb and Vice Chair Robyn Kennedy outlined hearing procedures and noted the committee would accept written testimony. The hearing featured testimony from legislators, providers, advocates, and behavioral health organizations, with most speakers urging favorable reports on the bills they addressed. A major topic was psychiatric collaborative care, including H. 222/S. 1390, which would raise reimbursement for collaborative care codes to at least Medicare levels and allow billing outside the MassHealth primary care subcapitation model. Supporters said the model improves access, outcomes, and cost savings by embedding behavioral health in primary care, and several witnesses described successful implementation in practices and schools. Committee members asked questions about how the model works, what specialties use it, barriers to adoption, and whether copays, deductibles, and subcapitation rules should be changed. Witnesses also supported related innovation legislation, including H. 2224, which would create a mental health innovation fund and support nontraditional trauma-healing approaches. Other bills discussed included H. 2212, which would require prescribers to discuss opioid and pain-medication risks, alternatives, and addiction/overdose concerns with patients or guardians; H. 2232 and H. 2233, which would address equitable payment and equitable access for behavioral health providers serving MassHealth patients; and S. 1406, which would add opioid maintenance treatment information to MassPAT and allow patient-authorized access to that information. Witnesses also strongly backed S. 1399, which would set targets to increase behavioral health spending within the overall health care cost benchmark, arguing that Massachusetts underinvests in behavioral health and that greater investment could reduce emergency, hospitalization, homelessness, and criminal justice costs. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded after testimony and committee questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• government data, and therefore do not, at first glance, meet numerical thresholds for full language coverage
• This means that sizable communities that speak languages like Arabic will be eligible for coverage.
• Third, the bill lowers the numeric threshold for coverage from 10,000 to 5,000.
• Third, the bill lowers the numeric threshold for coverage from 10,000 to 5,000 LEP adult citizens in

Summary: The Senate Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments heard several election-related measures. SB 884 by Senator Umberg proposed expanding polling-place buffer zones, limiting certain law enforcement activity near polling sites, increasing ballot drop boxes and vote center access, and extending the vote-by-mail receipt deadline; supporters said it would protect voters from intimidation, while county election officials opposed it as operationally difficult and costly. The bill was amended in committee to allow county supervisors discretion over expanding the buffer zone and to permit law enforcement entry for crimes against persons or property. It was ultimately passed out of committee on a 4-1 vote after members’ roll calls were completed later in the day. SB 1164 by Senator Cervantes would expand California voting-rights protections by codifying and broadening anti-dilution and anti-suppression rules, adding preclearance for some jurisdictions, and directing courts to favor voting access; it drew strong support from civil rights and voting-rights groups, while one city raised concerns about effects on pending litigation. The committee advanced the bill to Judiciary on a 4-1 vote after later roll call completion. The committee also considered SB 900 by Senator McNerney, which would streamline political advertisement disclosures by shortening required disclaimer language, allowing standard abbreviations, and increasing the number of top funders disclosed on political mailers from three to five. Supporters from the outdoor advertising industry and campaign finance reform groups said the bill would preserve transparency while making disclosures more readable; it passed unanimously and was sent to Appropriations. In contrast, SB 1225 and its companion SCA 3 by Senator Niello would transfer responsibility for drafting ballot titles and summaries for initiatives and referenda from the Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Supporters argued this would improve neutrality and public trust, while opponents said the current elected Attorney General system is accountable and efficient; both measures were advanced on narrow votes after roll calls were completed later. Finally, SB 1360 by Senator Cervantes, part of the California Voting Rights Act of 2026 package, would expand language-access requirements for election materials by lowering the threshold for coverage, adding a petition process, and extending protections beyond current federal language categories. Voting-rights and immigrant-advocacy groups strongly supported the bill, while county election officials opposed it unless amended, citing concerns about the precinct-based determination model and implementation details. The committee passed SB 1360 to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote after the later roll call. The committee also approved a consent calendar of seven measures at the start of the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• When insurance companies use these algorithms to deny coverage, that data set that led to those results
• incredible neighbors and some of the most vulnerable neighbors have access to health care and health coverage
• incredible neighbors and some of the most vulnerable neighbors have access to health care and health coverage
• incredible neighbors and some of the most vulnerable neighbors have access to health care and health coverage

Keywords: 1183, house