Transcript Highlights:

• When the Council of Human Service Providers asked me to participate in a meeting with providers who are
• How many providers are participating in TI?
• As the program moved along and providers had to start meeting certain metrics and providing data to show
• As the program moved along and providers had to start meeting certain metrics and providing data to show
• What I can say is that in many cases, our providers are struggling to access Our providers are struggling

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held another oversight hearing on Access, focusing on fee-for-service behavioral health management, prior authorization and claims processing, the Targeted Investment Program (TIP), and network adequacy. The chair criticized Access for implementing a covered behavioral health services guide without public comment and for failing to produce records such as decision-making documentation, work group minutes, and public/tribal feedback. Members also raised concerns about ARPA compliance, the reduction of intensive outpatient reimbursement to a $157 per diem, and the impact of these actions on providers and Native American communities. Interim Director Roberta Harrison said Access had improved fraud controls and operations after the sober living fraud crisis, including tripling prior authorization speed, reducing denial codes by 64%, cutting claims processing to under 30 days, and adding dashboards and staffing. She said the agency is modernizing outdated systems and invited fraud referrals. On questions about claims and prior authorizations, Access reported average processing times of six days overall and 17 days for behavioral health prior authorizations, and said it had hired Constellation under a direct procurement to help with claims backlog. Harrison acknowledged that a proposal language suggesting higher ROI from denying more claims was not part of the contract scope. The committee also pressed Access on TIP delays. Staff explained that TIP payments depend on provider documentation, programmatic review, and allocation across many sites, and said year one of TIP 2.0 had been paid while years two and three had not yet been distributed. The chair requested a formal plan within 30 days to pay the delayed year two and year three TIP funds, estimated at about $122 million, along with all CMS-related TIP 2.0 documentation. On network adequacy, Access described its standards and annual MCO reporting process, but acknowledged gaps in tracking and said it would follow up on whether a fiscal year 2025 report was submitted to CMS. Members cited a federal ghost network report finding 28% of providers in Santa Cruz County inactive or unavailable, and requested unredacted network adequacy reports and further information on CMS engagement. The hearing ended with the chair noting some improvements but saying more oversight may follow, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• many providers have setting uh today many providers have been<00:04:09.879><c> waiting</c><00:04:10.159
• :04:51.840><c> provider</c><00:04:52.199><c> members</c><00:04:52.520><c> and</c> roughly 200 provider
• </c> the ongoing issues that small providers the ongoing issues that small providers have<00:05:09.080
• Today, providers who are actively transitioning to providing IC services are facing months or, at this
• Today, providers who are actively transitioning to providing IC services are facing months or, at this

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> providers who are not providing providers who are not providing services. services. services.
• or provider capacity excess of providers or provider capacity relative<00:51:51.920><c> to</c><00:51
• providers? providers?
• . providers. providers.
• </c> providers. Um so that that's my opinion. providers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We have over 69,000 enrolled providers who treat and provide care to Medicaid members in state fiscal
• 69,000 enroll providers who treat and<00:03:46.560><c> U</c><00:03:46.760><c> provide</c><00:03:47.239
• </c><00:05:05.919><c> who</c> had a little over 4,500 providers who had a little over 4,500 providers
• </c><00:05:14.440><c> delivering</c> almost 8,000 providers delivering almost 8,000 providers delivering
• </c> membership this is a a spin by provider membership this is a a spin by provider type<00:10:39.240

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services held its first meeting and received an overview from the Department for Medicaid Services on Medicaid’s behavioral health and substance use disorder services. Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Beal said Kentucky Medicaid serves about 1.4 million members, including over half of Kentucky children, with 485,000 expansion members, more than 69,000 enrolled providers, and total fiscal year 2024 expenditures of $18.5 billion. They said Kentucky covers a broad range of behavioral health services, and behavioral health provider enrollment has grown from a little over 4,500 in 2019 to nearly 8,000 in 2024. They also described how Medicaid spending and utilization are tracked through claims and encounter data, with most members served through managed care organizations. Members focused on sharp increases in certain behavioral health billing codes, especially peer-to-peer services, and asked about reimbursement, utilization review, and whether the growth reflected increased need or expanded coverage. DMS said the rise was partly tied to combining facility and nonfacility behavioral health fee schedules in 2023, choosing the higher reimbursement rate to avoid cuts, and that the department has seen an uptick in peer-to-peer services. In response to concerns about overutilization, DMS said it mailed a letter to behavioral health providers, is considering limits and prior authorizations for some services, and plans to create a standardized monthly behavioral health report to monitor trends consistently and identify when controls may be needed. Lawmakers also asked whether the provider network is sufficient and whether access is adequate, especially for children. DMS said provider enrollment has expanded because behavioral health services were added to Medicaid in 2014 and because demand increased after COVID, but acknowledged studies showing children have less access than adults and said that would be an area of focus. The department said managed care organizations are required to ensure access to needed services and that current trends indicate access is available, though one member disagreed and said workforce shortages remain a major concern. Another member asked about non-emergency medical transportation spending, and DMS explained that it is handled through a capitated arrangement administered by the Transportation Cabinet rather than directly by the managed care organizations.

Transcript Highlights:

• To close this compensation gap, the state could provide additional funding to providers.
• So to close this compensation gap, the state could provide additional funding to providers.
• was provided and more than 5,000 providers were trained.
• of technical assistance was provided and trained more than 5,000 providers.
• And that includes not only providing the local planning councils to providing that report that they provide

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• provider.
• And these are providers who are specifically able to provide personal care services.
• IHSS provides...
• She is an IHSS provider.
• provides services to.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for definitions, to provide for written notice, to provide for method of delivery, to provide for the
• rights of customers, to provide for enforcement, to provide for authority, to provide for rulemaking
• , to provide for applicability, to provide for an effective date, and to provide for related matters.
• rights of customers, to provide for enforcement, to provide for authority, to provide for rulemaking
• , to provide for applicability, to provide for an effective date, and to provide for related matters.

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on Wednesday, April 22, with a quorum present and heard several bills. HB 1195, relating to the Louisiana State Athletic Commission, was amended with technical changes and a fee-related amendment tied to student athlete agents, then reported favorably. Members asked about criminal penalties and whether the bill would affect prison athletic events; the author said he would follow up on those questions. HB 798, the Broadband and Cable Price Notice Act, was amended to clarify definitions, federal compliance, notice requirements, and severability, then reported favorably after extensive debate over whether providers already give adequate notice, whether a separate notice is necessary, and whether the bill would be preempted by federal law. Charter Communications testified in opposition, saying the bill was duplicative and would add costs, while the author argued it was needed to ensure clear, conspicuous notice of price increases and cancellation rights.

Transcript Highlights:

• They, in September 23, provided 85,401 children were enrolled in the program and provided 46,500 new
• , that got $1.5 million and provided, I did. that got $1.5 million and provided, enrolled 85,401 children
• a $1,000 grant to provide books for children to a non-profit that provided one $5,000 grant to provide
• We provided—thank you. Senator, that's correct, but I will say this. We provided every document.
• We will gladly provide the assets.

Summary: The committee held a follow-up informational hearing on the State Library’s oversight of the statewide Imagination Library program, focusing on how state funds were used by the Strong Reader Partnership (SRP) and whether the program complied with statutory requirements. Chair and Senator Grove repeatedly questioned State Librarian Greg Lucas about delayed document production, the State Library’s decision to allow SRP to continue spending $4.8 million after the 2024 budget changes, and the lack of clear accounting for how many books were actually delivered to children. Lucas said the State Library had sent one demand letter, relied on counsel’s advice, and ultimately received bank statements, invoices, and narrative reports that he said were satisfactory, though he acknowledged the committee should have been given the documents sooner. A major issue was whether SRP and its vendors used state funds for lobbying or influence efforts related to AB 157/SB 157, despite contract language prohibiting lobbying. The committee highlighted invoices and emails involving ChangeCraft and SAGE Strategies that appeared to coincide with legislative activity, while SRP representatives said their work was communications, stakeholder outreach, and board-directed advocacy, not lobbying. Members of SRP also defended their vendor selections and invoicing practices, explaining that the organization was in startup and transition mode, had multiple financial vendors for checks and balances, and was working to build infrastructure, local partnerships, and multilingual outreach capacity rather than directly buying books. The hearing also scrutinized specific expenditures, including roughly $581,000 to Shipyard for marketing and web/digital work, $110,000 to Lotus Financial Solutions, and a $5,000 grant to United Way of the California Capital Region. Senators argued the invoices were vague and the deliverables were not evident, pointing to a simple website, limited social media presence, and no clear evidence that some advertised campaigns ever went live. SRP witnesses said the work was part of a phased plan to establish a statewide foundation and that some assets and documentation had not yet been provided to the committee. No votes were taken, and the hearing ended with the chair emphasizing the need for tighter oversight, clearer documentation, and better accountability for taxpayer funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• guidance to the counties to provide notice to recipients and providers.
• The care that they need if the providers are not able to help them because the providers The providers
• I'm here as a provider.
• IHSS care provider. I've been providing care for over 50 years.
• I'm a parent provider, before becoming a provider for my daughter, I was a provider for my mother.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have initiated opportunities to provide additional funding to providers that are part of that program
• We have initiated opportunities to provide additional funding to providers that are part of that program
• When the Council of Human Service Providers asked me to participate in a meeting with providers who are
• When the Council of Human Service Providers asked me to participate in a meeting with providers who were
• providers they regulate.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We anticipate implementation after the provider hub is fully rolled out to all providers.
• Provider premiums are rising astronomically, and more and more providers and potential providers are
• providers providing that care.
• providers providing that care.
• providing that care the providers providing that care they'll<01:23:34.360><c> be</c><01:23:34.480><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PROVIDERS OUT THERE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES?
• WE ARE WORKING ON PROVIDER ADVISORIES TO ENSURE THAT ALL PROVIDERS ARE AWARE AND WE ARE WORKING WITH
• >> THE ISSUE IS THE PROVIDER ENTITY NOT NECESSARILY THE WORKERS THAT SUPPORT THE PROVIDER ENTITY. >>
• NOW THAT THE PROVIDER COMMUNITY HAS PUT OUT A GET FROM THE PROVIDERS THROUGH THE FIRST SURVEY.
• WE DO NOT HAVE A PROVIDER WE ARE WORKING WITH THIS WE DO HAVE A PROVIDER WE ARE WORKING WITH.

Transcript Highlights:

• FFN providers get the minimum wage.
• I'm also a member of BWA, Brockton Workers Alliance, and I'm also a provider, like many providers in
• So I'm going to provide, to stabilize the providers who know and confirm...
• But of course, there are many, many FFN providers providing care to families with vouchers.
• From 6 o'clock until 8 or 8:30, the time they go to provider if someone has a provider.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This provides for a rotation of leadership positions, so there's a total of six leaders being provided
• </c><00:03:09.760><c> some</c> mentioned uh just provides some mentioned uh just provides some additional
• </c><00:03:50.200><c> the</c> leaders um being provided the leaders um being provided the supplemental
• Item 13 starting on 1.12 provides new standards for committee and floor procedure. 13.1 provides that
• Item 13 starting on 1.12 provides new standards for committee and floor procedure. 13.1 provides that

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• To close this compensation gap, the state could provide additional funding to providers.
• was provided and trained more than 5,000 providers.
• And that includes not only providing the local planning councils to providing that report that they provide
• care provider.
• providers.

Summary: The hearing was a joint budget discussion focused first on California preschool and child care, then on universal transitional kindergarten (TK), with later movement toward a reading-difficulties screener item. Members emphasized the need for a coordinated early childhood system that better serves families’ real schedules and needs, rather than forcing families to fit existing program structures. The preschool panel reviewed access, quality, workforce, facilities, and information systems, with repeated concern about whether current funding and program design are sufficient for infants, toddlers, three-year-olds, and full-day/full-year care. Witnesses from the Learning Policy Institute, CDSS, CDE, and community providers described major growth in preschool and child care enrollment, especially for two- and three-year-olds, but also noted persistent gaps, waitlists, workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and the need for more stable funding. Several witnesses urged expansion or permanence of two-year-old eligibility in CSPP, more support for mixed-delivery systems, facility conversion and renovation grants, better statewide enrollment and referral systems, and continued funding for one-time grants such as UPK coordinators and planning/implementation supports. Provider and parent testimony stressed that rate reform, enrollment-based reimbursement, and continued hold-harmless protections are needed to keep programs open and accessible. The TK panel reviewed the Governor’s budget proposal for full implementation of universal TK, including Proposition 98 funding for expansion and lower adult-to-child ratios, plus a multilingual learner screening implementation budget change proposal. LPI and CDE reported that TK enrollment has grown rapidly but uptake is now a little over half of eligible four-year-olds, with families citing lack of awareness, preference for other care, and logistical barriers such as location and hours. CDE and providers said the UPK planning and implementation grant, mixed-delivery planning grants, and UPK coordinators have been critical, but these one-time funds are set to sunset. Members pressed for more information on eligible population projections, full-day/full-year demand, teacher credential data, and how administrative credential programs are preparing leaders for early childhood settings. The committee held the issues open and requested follow-up data from the departments.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, just to finish, we provided the $55 million.
• $1.5 million and provided, I did...
• A nonprofit that provided one $5,000 grant to provide books for children to read would be a good investment
• We provided every document.
• And we will gladly provide the assets.

Summary: The follow-up informational hearing focused on the State Library’s oversight of the statewide Imagination Library and the Strong Reader Partnership (SRP), including how the original $68.2 million state investment was spent, why funds were not redirected sooner to the Dollywood Foundation, and whether spending complied with AB 157 and later SB 105. Committee members repeatedly raised concerns that SRP and the State Library had been slow to provide documents, that quarterly reporting and other contract requirements were not met on time, and that the State Library did not escalate issues earlier. State Librarian Greg Lucas said the library sent one demand letter, relied on counsel’s view that SRP could continue spending its $4.8 million so long as it furthered the program, and later redirected about $55 million to the Dollywood Foundation after paperwork was submitted. He also acknowledged the library should have shared SRP’s final report with the committee sooner and said the materials eventually received appeared satisfactory, though the chair and Senator Grove remained concerned that there was still no clear accounting of books delivered by SRP. A major portion of the hearing examined SRP’s expenditures and vendor contracts, including Shipyard for marketing and web services, SAGE Strategies for management consulting, Lotus Financial Solutions and other financial vendors, and United Way California Capital Region for a small marketing grant. Committee members questioned whether some spending, especially Changecraft’s work during the AB 157 period, amounted to lobbying or attempts to influence legislation, which the grant agreement prohibited. SRP representatives said the work was communications and stakeholder outreach, not lobbying, and that invoices reflected the board’s oversight and the nonprofit’s startup and closeout phases. They also said some work continued during the rescission and closeout period to unwind contracts and return funds, and that any reporting delays were due to transition, lack of a reporting mechanism from the State Library, and the need to collect records after vendors were canceled. Members of SRP said the nonprofit was created to build the infrastructure for a self-sustaining statewide program, expand local partnerships, and support multilingual outreach in underserved counties. They described a working board that met regularly, selected vendors collectively, and used multiple financial and administrative contractors to maintain checks and balances. However, committee members pressed them on the lack of detailed invoices, the absence of clear metrics showing how many books SRP actually delivered, and the limited apparent return on spending such as the $581,708 Shipyard contract, the $125,000 website work, and the $5,000 United Way grant. No formal vote or legislative action was taken during the hearing; it was an oversight session aimed at obtaining explanations and additional documentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• , that got $1.5 million and provided—I did.
• a $1,000 grant to provide books for children to A nonprofit that provided one $5,000 grant to provide
• Yeah, anything to provide a little more detail.
• I appreciate the reference that you provided.
• And we will gladly provide the assets.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• providers are getting prospectively.
• I know it says here four, and we're meeting one-on-one with providers as they requested because providers
• Providers have already received the updated case rate information, and we continue to meet with providers
• At bridging some of the gaps between medical providers and behavioral health care providers.
• So, as I mentioned earlier, this is not just for obstetric providers, but any frontline provider who

Keywords: 962, all

Summary: The meeting focused on maternal health and behavioral health services for pregnant and postpartum people in Connecticut. Dr. Fatmata Williams of DSS gave an update on the Husky maternity payment bundle, explaining that it was created in response to worsening maternal and neonatal outcomes and racial disparities. She said the bundle, launched in 2025, shifts payment away from fee-for-service toward prospective case rates, quality measures, and shared savings, while covering services such as doulas and maintaining access to behavioral health and other non-pregnancy-related care outside the bundle. She noted 26 maternity practices are participating, quarterly quality reports have been distributed, reconciliation is planned for 2026, and DSS is considering refinements such as adding newborns, revisiting shared losses, and possibly expanding to FQHCs after further stakeholder review. Shelly Nolan of DMHAS then described the state’s women’s services and recovery continuum, including pregnant and parenting treatment programs, women’s recovery support programs, community transition support with rent subsidies, the Proud program, REACH navigation, recovery houses, and outpatient services. She emphasized that many programs are under capacity and that DMHAS uses a no-wrong-door approach, real-time bed availability, technical assistance, and training to improve access. She also reviewed initiatives tied to substance-exposed pregnancies and safe sleep, secure storage, naloxone distribution, reproductive health integration, breastfeeding support, and upcoming conferences and trainings. She said the department works closely with DCF and community partners to reduce stigma and improve family-centered care. Beth Garrigan presented on the Access Mental Health and Substance Use for Moms program, a statewide consultation service for providers serving pregnant and postpartum individuals up to 12 months after delivery. She said the program offers real-time psychiatric consultation, referral support, and one-time face-to-face assessments, and has provided more than 4,300 consultations and resource/referral support to over 700 individuals since 2022. Members and legislators praised the service and discussed how it helps providers connect patients to care, follow up on referrals, and address barriers such as fit, stigma, and workflow. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with plans for the next meeting on June 8 and a request for Dr. Williams’ slides to be posted online.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> provide</c><00:14:41.720><c> over</c> Learning scholarships provide over Learning scholarships provide
• to provide input multiple opportunities to provide input on<00:20:06.520><c> the</c><00:20:06.919><c
• </c> facility daycare providers and they many facility daycare providers and they many of<00:24:34.039
• speak</c> for new providers or providers who speak for new providers or providers who speak English<
• </c> providers succeed because when providers providers succeed because when providers succeed<01:14:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• for definitions, to provide for written notice, to provide for method of delivery, to provide for the
• rights of customers, to provide for enforcement, to provide for authority, to provide for rulemaking
• , to provide for applicability, to provide for an effective date, and to provide for related matters.
• That includes the landline providers, the wireless providers, the voice-over internet providers, and
• discrimination, to provide for differential prices, to provide for a right of action, to provide for

Bills: HB471, HB798, HB947, HB1140, HB1186, HB1195, HB1222

Keywords: surveillance, price discrimination, consumer protection, automated decision systems, data privacy, broadband, cable service, price increase, notification, digital assets, abandonment, custodian, escheatment, blockchain, cryptocurrency, unclaimed property, state treasurer, telecommunications, spoofing, call authentication