Video & Transcript Research : 'rate decoupling'

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KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • capitation rate."
  • get get buried into a capitation rate. get get buried into a capitation rate.
  • into the capitation rates. into the capitation rates.
  • And I I believe eligibility rates.
  • A 43% error rate. directly presented. A 43% error rate.
Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Board meeting opened with quorum, approval of the March 9 and March 16, 2026 minutes, and a welcome to new member Representative Willner. The board then heard a presentation from the Department of Medicaid Services on several statutory reports: the quarterly budget analysis (LRC) report, the quarterly MCO report, the provider tax and assessment report, the enrollee demographic report, the annual behavioral health/substance use disorder utilization report, and the Medicaid pharmaceutical rebate fund. Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Bechal explained the reports and answered questions. On spending, DMS said the quarterly budget analysis report should be read using the summary tabs because the first tab reflects only traditional Medicaid and does not include all populations. Lee said the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026 showed about $191 million more in waiver spending than the same period last year, about $250 million more in other categories such as nursing facilities, CCBHCs, and FQHCs, and roughly $450 million more in total fee-for-service spending. She also noted that Medicare Part D premiums are 100% state funds and estimated the state-fund increase at about $140 million. For managed care, DMS said pharmacy, inpatient hospital, and outpatient hospital spending made up about 66% of MCO payments so far this fiscal year. Members asked about administrative costs, provider tax impacts, citizenship-status categories, medical loss ratio, and whether the reports could be expanded to show recoupments and citizenship-based spending. DMS clarified that the spending figures discussed were benefit costs only, not administrative costs, and said administrative match rates vary. On the provider tax and directed payments report, Lee said the new CMS proposed rule would allow separate payment terms to continue through the grandfathering period, but that the impact would be substantial for providers even if the administrative effect was minimal. She also said DMS was still reviewing unusual citizenship categories such as “other” and “unspecified,” and would provide more information on medical loss ratio and recoupments if available. Auditor Ball raised concerns about alleged waste, duplicate Social Security numbers, ineligible enrollees, and high error rates in other programs. Lee responded that Medicaid focuses on fraud, waste, and abuse, but said the cited $800 million figure was not factual because it did not account for people enrolled in more than one Medicaid program at the same time. She said DMS is reviewing eligibility systems, including changes tied to community engagement requirements, and is working with the cabinet’s eligibility staff and ombudsman division on error rates. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children.(6-17-26)

Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:
  • favorable reimbursement rates. favorable reimbursement rates.
  • somewhere-ish in the one in 500 rate. somewhere-ish in the one in 500 rate.
  • as well as the overall autism rate? as well as the overall autism rate?
  • know that the increase in autism rates know that the increase in autism rates that<01:21:46.680>
  • pay and negotiate an individual rate. pay and negotiate an individual rate.
Keywords: 958, all
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Human Services Dec 5th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • And since then, as the report said, to look at rate increases after that, those rate increases we've
  • We are not funded to cover groceries in our rates.
  • It could look back to either what was our rate in fiscal year 2025 or our rate in fiscal year 2026.
  • The vertical axis is the so-called release rate.
  • The vertical is the so-called release rate.
Summary: The committee heard testimony on the effects of H.R. 1 on Washington’s Medicaid, developmental disability, long-term care, and food assistance systems, followed by a separate discussion of juvenile rehabilitation caseloads and placement capacity. DSHS officials said HR1 could affect home equity rules, immigration-related eligibility, work requirements for some expansion-population enrollees, and provider taxes, while also creating a future opportunity for a new 1915(c) waiver. Advocates and providers warned that any state response that cuts home and community-based services would worsen already thin provider networks, increase waiting lists, push more people into hospitals or out-of-state placements, and strain families and workers. A pediatric behavioral health expert and a supported living provider said Medicaid reimbursement is already too low and further reductions would threaten outpatient, residential, and inpatient services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and severe behavioral needs. The committee then turned to SNAP and the state food assistance program. DSHS said HR1 would tighten work requirements and exemptions, end some immigrant eligibility for the federal program, eliminate the SNAP education program, raise state administrative costs, and eventually require Washington to share in benefit costs based on its error rate. Officials estimated large numbers of residents could lose or see reduced benefits, with significant added state costs. Anti-hunger advocates, a food bank director, and a SNAP recipient described the program as essential for low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities, and said the changes would increase paperwork, reduce benefits, and worsen food insecurity while also harming local food economies. Testimony emphasized that food banks cannot replace SNAP and that work requirements may be difficult to meet for caregivers, people with disabilities, and those facing child care or transportation barriers. In the juvenile justice portion, the Caseload Forecast Council presented the JR forecast, which is currently mostly flat through the end of the biennium but expected to grow modestly over the longer term. Members discussed how policy choices, including the 2019 JR-25 law, have increased lengths of stay for adult-sentenced youth in JR, while diversion and other reforms have affected regular JR trends. A court researcher explained the data available to help forecast admissions and noted ongoing efforts to improve data sharing with JR, AOC, and county systems, though staffing and system-lag issues limit how quickly data can be produced. Juvenile court administrators and DCYF officials described the community-based juvenile justice continuum, rising complexity in the JR population, overcrowding at Green Hill and placement constraints at Echo Glen and Harbor Heights, and the need for more flexible community transition and mental health capacity. No votes were taken.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

House Municipal and County Government (02/27/2025)

Municipal and County Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • at all what the percentage of rate at all what the percentage of rate increase<01:30:00.880>
  • show an accuracy in what the tax rate show an accuracy in what the tax rate might<01:39:23.840><
  • per year so not only um do the rates per year so not only um do the rates change<01:39:37.360>
  • rate impact.
  • It says the rate on line four. It says the rate for municipal.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Legislative Finance Nov 18th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • , and those types of things. rates, and those types of things.
  • It has a 59% success rate.
  • And then finally, on the GSD rates, I think you've heard...
  • increases and the health insurance rate increases.
  • But the reality is mill rates cannot easily be changed.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

CPN Public Hearing 02-14-2025

Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:
  • approval by the insurance commissioner and not less than 30 days before the effective date of the rate
  • the program has you know received a rate the program has you know received a rate filing<00:04:38.199
  • <00:04:45.720> approval related to after the rate approval related to after the rate approval
  • > money<00:36:18.240> market on the national rate for money market on the national rate for
  • of lenders to make low interest rate of lenders to make low interest rate loans<00:37:44.359>
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The committee heard several insurance and condominium-related bills. SB 1137 would require insurers to notify policyholders of approved rate changes within 30 days and at least 30 days before the effective date. The Insurance Division supported the bill, while testimony focused on condominium master policies and whether the notice period would be enough for associations to respond to rate increases. The division said the bill would mainly affect admitted carriers, not surplus lines insurers that write many condominium master policies, and warned against limiting the nonadmitted market. SB 293, requiring sellers to disclose when USPS cannot deliver mail or packages to a residential property, was also heard with HAAI Realtors commenting. SB 752 would extend notice periods for cancellation or nonrenewal of property-casualty policies; the Attorney General’s Office raised concerns about contractual impairment and retroactive application. The committee also heard SB 575, which would allow authorized insurers to offer building and hurricane damage coverage for condominium buildings at a lower rate than prior surplus lines coverage. The Insurance Division stood on written testimony, and a condominium owner urged amendments to require a membership vote before such coverage changes, citing concerns about condominium self-governance. SP 1046 would require managing agents to notify unit owners and the Real Estate Commission when a condominium association fails budget and reserve reporting requirements. The Real Estate Commission said the bill was administratively workable as drafted but noted ambiguity over who counts as the “managing agent”; several testifiers opposed the measure, arguing it could disrupt the principal-agent relationship and impose legal judgment on nonlawyers, while others supported it. SP 150, dealing with captive insurance companies seeking exemption from examinations, drew the most detailed discussion. The Captive Insurance Council supported the bill as a way to reduce duplicative oversight and improve Hawaii’s competitiveness, while the Insurance Division opposed it as drafted, citing concerns about broad commissioner discretion, possible missed issues between exams, staffing shortages, and the need to preserve oversight. A committee member asked about a possible middle ground, including a shorter exemption period or limiting the bill to self-attestation companies; the division said it would need more information and that annual filings and approval requirements would still provide oversight. The committee also heard SP 212, which would require at least two Real Estate Commission members to be licensed engineers or architects; testimony included support and a concern about conflicts of interest among people who serve in multiple roles in the condominium and real estate sectors. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided, and the chair moved from one measure to the next after testimony and questions.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee 1/21/26

Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • of not higher than 6% error rate, fraud rate, waste, overpayments and underpayments?
  • of not higher than 6% error rate, fraud rate, waste, overpayments and underpayments?
  • of not higher than 6% error rate, fraud rate, waste, overpayments and underpayments?
  • of not higher than 6% error rate, fraud rate, waste, overpayments and underpayments?
  • of not higher than 6% error rate, fraud rate, waste, overpayments and underpayments?
Keywords: 1183, house
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • There's a part here around rate setting.
  • Ultimately, we agree that these things, we don't want these things in rates.
  • But the idea is, ultimately, we do want to get those costs out of rates. Yeah.
  • And the idea is we start to take as much of that as possible out of rates. I use every year.
  • It's just going to give us, again, resources to take it out of rates.
Summary: The Assembly Committee on Natural Resources heard Senator Becker present a broad energy and affordability bill focused on shifting certain utility-related costs out of rates and into a new public power fund structure. The bill’s major elements included using cap-and-trade climate credit revenues to provide larger and better-timed customer credits, especially for low-income customers; creating a fund to help cover wildfire mitigation, care and fairness, and other public-purpose costs; adjusting rate-setting and wildfire spending oversight; and streamlining permitting and CEQA review through programmatic environmental documents for similar projects. Becker said the goal was to reduce regressive costs in rates while still supporting climate and infrastructure goals. Support came from municipal utilities, community choice advocates, environmental justice and clean energy groups, and the Climate Center, many of whom said they supported the bill and wanted to continue working on amendments. Opposition came from the California Chamber of Commerce, utility companies, business groups, and labor representatives, who argued the bill would shift rather than solve cost pressures, create rate instability, and introduce reliability and investor risks. Several opponents also criticized the proposed funding structure and the inflation-capped rate-setting approach. Committee members asked Becker about the rationale for the power fund, the change from 85% to 100% of cap-and-trade revenues going to customer credits, the reduced frequency of wildfire mitigation reporting, and the adequacy of streamlined environmental review. Becker said the bill was intended to move wildfire and other public-purpose costs out of rates over time and to speed up review without eliminating project-specific environmental analysis. The committee ultimately voted to pass the bill on a due-pass recommendation, with members noting ongoing discussions on permitting and other amendments.
AR

Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session

ALC-STATE INSURANCE PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE Jun 17th, 2026

ALC-STATE INSURANCE PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Transcript Highlights:
  • Next up is the approval of the proposed Arkansas State Employees and Public Employees 2027 rates.
  • Next up is the approval of the proposed Arkansas State Employees and Public Employees 2027 rates.
  • Additionally, when you're looking at the public school, we will see a 4.9% increase in their rate and
  • There are flood issues that you have to rate for and factor in.
  • ...and the application of rates and total improvement values and so forth.
Keywords: 1204, all
Summary: The State Insurance Programs Oversight Subcommittee met on June 17 and reviewed a series of Employee Benefits Division and Office of Property Risk items. Grant Wallace presented March and April formulary changes, including moving to lower-cost generic and preferred drugs, leaving several new-to-market drugs not covered, and adjusting migraine and diabetes medications; the committee approved those recommendations. The subcommittee also approved a cell and gene therapy policy that excludes automatic coverage for those therapies so they can undergo prior authorization and review, with members emphasizing that the policy was intended to create review, not an absolute denial, and that expedited appeals would remain available. Members spent significant time discussing the UAMS pharmacy benefit consultant amendment. Wallace explained that the contract included both basic services and optional services related to coupon and rebate management and prior authorization support, but the written materials created confusion over the dollar amount. After questions about whether the committee was approving a higher amount than the base contract and whether the optional services duplicated work already being done by Navitus, the committee agreed to review the item with a contingency that any use of the optional services would return to the committee for approval. The committee also reviewed and approved the U.S. Able Mutual/Blue Advantage third-party administrator contract, the CompSack employee assistance program contract, and the proposed 2027 employee and public employee rates, which call for a 9.8% increase for state employees and a 4.9% increase for public school employees. On the property risk side, the committee reviewed permanent rules for the property insurance program, a contingency-fee subrogation contract with Denenberg-Tuffley, and renewals for Sedgwick claims management, Actuarial Advantage, and Stevens Capital Management. Wallace said Sedgwick had faced delays after a major winter storm and other weather events, but performance guarantees and communication expectations were being added; members discussed whether a shorter renewal term would be preferable, but the item was reviewed. The committee also approved the 2026-27 captive insurance program rates, which Wallace said would lower the overall rate by 10% while keeping minimum deductibles unchanged. He noted the program had stabilized after a difficult first year and that the rate structure was now based on a more transparent actuarial foundation. The meeting ended with an update that the UnitedHealthcare rebid was nearing completion and would return in August, and the committee adjourned after approving the remaining items.
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Medicaid - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 2:00 PM

Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:
  • Whether it's very low college completion rates, high rates of homelessness after aging out, these benefits
  • Any change within your income status, and our error rate is probably artificially inflated because of
  • Any change within your income status, and our error rate is probably artificially inflated because of
  • Senator Blount, we're recognized for a question. we can do to be fair to our error rate we can do to
  • Rather, it is holding the state accountable to an error rate and penalizing the state for an error rate
Summary: The committee considered five bills. SB 2567, the Mississippi Pediatric Access to Critical Health Care Protection Act, would allow a border hospital to accept Medicaid patients and payments; it was moved as title sufficient and reported, with one member opposing. SB 2571, the Foster Youth Earn Benefit Protection for Success Act, would require Social Security survivor or disability benefits for foster youth to be used for the child rather than reimbursing the state for foster care costs; the sponsor said the bill follows federal guidance and other states’ practices, and it was reported after a title-sufficient motion, with one opposition. SB 2708 would require insurers to cover postpartum depression screenings. Senator Boyd said most insurers already do this, and he offered an amendment to strike lines 364-368 because of concerns about step-therapy language; the committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill. SB 2765 would open code sections related to DHS and Medicaid income verification so Mississippi can respond to federal error-rate penalties tied to SNAP and related programs; Senator Sparks said the state’s 10.69% error rate could trigger about $128 million in annual penalties, and members discussed whether the state’s change-reporting rules may be inflating that rate. The bill was reported. The final bill, SB 2746, the Older Mississippians Act, was described by DHS as a cleanup measure that updates aging-services statutes, formally designates Mississippi as the state unit on aging, and removes obsolete program references. After brief discussion, it was reported on a title-sufficient motion. At the end of the meeting, Senator McMahan publicly thanked the chair for his work, and the committee then moved to rise and report.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Education Finance - 01/22/25

Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • to them when the taxes committee is looking at those classification rates.
  • Again, to Senator Lucero's point, the local property tax rate these are average rates, but the local.
  • <00:21:58.039> these that the local property tax rate these that the local property tax rate
  • > but<00:22:00.520> the<00:22:00.760> the average rates but the the average rates
  • In FY 2024, if we rank the districts from highest rate to lowest rate, the local NTC rate for the district
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • What's the formula for determining reimbursement rates?
  • Should we look at poverty rate requirements and expanding it and open up Reimbursement rates.
  • So we actually have more providers now with the new rates than we did under the old rates.
  • That has impacted our reimbursement rates in this grant and will also impact reimbursement rates in a
  • The rate change was their reason for closing.
Summary: The committee met to review the minutes and then held a workshop-style discussion with Arkansas Department of Education early childhood officials about the state’s early learning programs, funding, and access. Officials explained that the state-funded ABC program has been largely flat for years, rising from $11 million to about $14 million in 2018, while the federally funded SRA/CCDF side is much larger. They described differences between the programs, including ABC’s 10-month school-year structure, current enrollment of about 23,000 children in ABC and about 14,871 in SRA, and a SRA wait list that has grown to roughly 2,971 children. Members raised concerns about rural access, school-based versus community-based providers, reimbursement rates, and the need to align early childhood funding with K-12 and kindergarten readiness goals. A major topic was the recent $14.741 million PDG B-5 competitive grant. Officials said it is a one-year systems-building grant, not a direct services grant, and will support local leads, CLASS observations, workforce efforts, and data systems while helping offset some costs that otherwise would have been paid through CCDF. Members also discussed the end of a federal pre-K funding stream in June, with children either moving into ABC slots or requalifying for SRA, and the state’s new enrollment-based payment approach, which officials said saved about $576,000. The committee also heard that the current cost-of-care study is about three years old and that a new market-rate survey is being planned. Several members questioned dual enrollment in home visiting/HIPPY and ABC, with officials saying about 1,200 children are enrolled in both and that limiting double enrollment could save about $2.4 million and affect roughly 470 children. Members also asked about provider closures after rate changes; officials said eight providers cited funding as a reason for closing, while 26 new providers have been added under the new rates. The discussion ended with broad agreement that the committee should continue regular updates, keep providers and families informed, and explore policy changes, waivers, and possible state investments to improve stability, access, and quality in early childhood education.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Energy Committee Meeting - 2025-04-01

Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • And particularly for accepting suggested languages from CUB in order to protect electric rate payers
  • has listened with cautious optimism about the potential benefits that data centers could bring to rate
  • payers in terms of reduced rates for everyone because of the additional electricity sales.
  • However, if there are going to be rate payer benefits, those benefits aren't going to be automatic.
  • Dufferin talked about, you know, over a hundred years at the current rate.
Bills: HF2928, HF2912, HF2297
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

House - Taxation and Revenue Mar 5th, 2025

House Taxation & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:
  • can be a little bit lower than... sales tax rates.
  • We've got a labor participation rate problem.
  • Madam Chair, Representative, the lowest maximum rate is $524.
  • happen to know how often those rates are updated?
  • Only Massachusetts lost at a higher rate than we did.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Science, Technology and Energy (02/17/2026)

Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:45:58.480> Uh really did cause rates to go up. Uh really did cause rates to go up.
  • <00:52:04.800> that under commercial industrial rates that under commercial industrial rates
  • commission is the body charged with rate commission is the body charged with rate setting.<00:52
  • It doesn't make rates in the future.
  • <02:07:09.599> pay whenever the utilities go for rate pay whenever the utilities go for rate
Keywords: 1189, house, all
AR

Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session

REVENUE & TAX - SENATE May 4th, 2026

REVENUE & TAX - SENATE

Transcript Highlights:
  • continuation of the progress that we've already made in relation to lowering our state's income tax rate
  • Our willingness to save, we've been able to dramatically increase our income tax rate since 2013.
  • That same person today making $65,000, tax rate would be just above $2,000. Thank you.
  • We shouldn't be competing with neighboring states for the lowest tax rate.
  • That was a 45% decrease in the effective tax rate for someone making $65,000.
Keywords: 1204, all
Summary: The Senate Revenue and Tax Committee met to consider Senate Bill 1, presented by Senator Jonathan Dismang as the next step in Arkansas’s long-running effort to reduce the state income tax rate. He said the bill would lower the rate from 7% to 3.7%, with the personal income tax change retroactive to January 1, 2026, and the corporate income tax change taking effect the following January. In response to a question, he estimated that a person making $65,000 would see their tax bill fall from roughly $3,600 to just over $2,000, or about a 45% reduction in effective tax rate. Several members of the public testified against the bill, arguing that further tax cuts would reduce revenue needed for education, health care, food assistance, housing, and disability services. Speakers included a clergy member and social worker from Little Rock, a parent describing the high cost of supported living services for her son with cerebral palsy, representatives from Arkansas Appleseed and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and a Marshallese community advocate. They emphasized underfunded public schools, early childhood education waitlists, hospital and child care pressures, and the view that tax cuts disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers while vulnerable Arkansans rely on state-funded services. In closing, Senator Dismang said the bill was part of a decade-long tax reduction effort and argued that Arkansas could be both compassionate and competitive without cutting essential services, noting the state was operating with a surplus. Senator Petty and Senator Boyd echoed support, saying the state should focus on outcomes, maintain competitiveness, and that no services would be cut. The committee then voted do pass on SB 1, and the bill passed by voice vote before the meeting adjourned.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

01/20/2026 - Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • That resulted in a 3.6% growth rate in the current year, the same rate in '27, and somewhat higher in
  • And you see the growth rates there on the right-hand side. The growth rates are...
  • That number will actually be dependent on what our error rate is, the lowest error rate in either '25
  • if our error rate is below 6%.
  • has the lowest rate.
Summary: The committee began with a JLBC presentation comparing the baseline budget to the governor’s proposal. JLBC said the baseline shows a positive cash balance in each year, with about $577–$578 million available above statutory formulas, but that major items such as tax conformity, state employee health subsidies, school repairs, SNAP administrative changes, and possible SNAP error-rate costs are not fully funded. JLBC also reviewed executive revenue and spending proposals, including border-security funding, sports betting tax changes, data-center tax changes, short-term rental and water surcharges, and several one-time items that JLBC said appear to be ongoing in practice. Members questioned SNAP error rates, Medicaid/Access enrollment and costs, possible fraud involving Access-to-Marketplace shifting, prison receivership risk, and the need for more oversight of waste and fraud. The committee then heard and passed SB 1032, which appropriates $1.5 million to fund the Independent Correctional Oversight Office created last year. The sponsor and several advocates said the office is needed to provide independent oversight, improve transparency, help whistleblowers, and reduce the risk of federal receivership over the prison system. Testimony from advocacy groups and former incarcerated individuals strongly supported the bill, and the committee approved it 10-0. Next, the committee considered several transportation appropriations. SB 1064 would provide $3 million to Flagstaff for improvements along U.S. Route 66; the mayor and local planning officials described safety problems, congestion, and housing growth along the corridor, while some members objected to using general fund dollars for roads instead of HURF and to bypassing the normal transportation board process. The bill passed 7-3. SB 1059 would appropriate $9.2 million for a right-turn lane at SR 87 and SR 260 in Payson, and SB 1062 would appropriate $1 million for a left-turn lane at US 60 and Superstition Mountain Drive in Gold Canyon; both were supported by local witnesses citing congestion and safety concerns and both received do-pass recommendations, 7-3 and 6-4 respectively. The committee also began hearing SCR 1004, a voter-referral measure to prohibit photo enforcement systems, with the sponsor and public commenters arguing that photo radar is unconstitutional, abusive, and tied to ticket revenue, but the transcript cuts off before any committee action on that measure.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Prior to H.R. 1, these state-directed payments may be set up to the average commercial rate.
  • Prior to HR1, these state-directed payments may be set up to the average commercial rate.
  • The law makes significant changes to the payment error rate measurement, or PERM, program.
  • and used general fund to pay rate increases for hospitals.
  • So there is a public health lens, an umbrella to these rates.
Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California’s Medi-Cal program and on community health effects from recent immigration enforcement actions. Committee leaders said H.R. 1 would sharply reduce federal funding, increase administrative burdens, and worsen access to care, especially for Medi-Cal enrollees, immigrant families, rural communities, and reproductive health patients. The second half of the hearing examined how ICE raids and related federal actions are creating fear, reducing clinic and emergency department use, and disrupting children’s access to schools and early childhood education. Department of Health Care Services Director Michelle Bass outlined the main H.R. 1 provisions affecting Medi-Cal: work requirements, semiannual eligibility redeterminations, shorter retroactive coverage, new cost-sharing, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, reduced federal support for emergency and lawful immigrant coverage, and a one-year ban on Medicaid funding for prohibited abortion providers. She estimated millions could lose coverage, with tens of billions of dollars in federal funding at risk. Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California warned the defunding provision could force clinic closures, service reductions, and loss of access to family planning, STI testing, and cancer screenings. The California Hospital Association said the financing changes could cut hospital revenue by tens of billions over 10 years and threaten access, especially for rural and safety-net hospitals. The Western Center on Law and Poverty argued the law would increase churn, paperwork, and uninsured rates, disproportionately harming working adults and people experiencing homelessness. Committee members asked about implementation timelines, notification systems, administrative costs, the effect on immigrant eligibility, and whether California could delay or mitigate some provisions. Bass said the state was still assessing federal guidance, planning county and provider outreach, and exploring a possible delay for work requirements and a transition period for provider-tax changes. Members also discussed how state budget actions may need to be revisited in light of H.R. 1, and how California might preserve access through state-only funding or other policy changes. In the second panel, CHIRLA, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and the Children’s Partnership described the health consequences of immigration enforcement. Speakers said raids and data-sharing fears are causing anxiety, trauma, and avoidance of care, with Los Angeles County reporting declines in emergency, urgent care, and clinic visits after enforcement actions. The Children’s Partnership said school and early childhood absences are rising in some communities and that enforcement is undermining children’s emotional well-being and access to education. Members asked for more data and discussed possible state protections, telehealth, mobile care, and legal and policy responses to reduce fear and preserve access to health and education services.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Conservation Feb 5th, 2026 at 09:09 am

Senate Conservation

Transcript Highlights:
  • But we can guess rate increases, all kinds of issues.
  • We are going to allow the insurance when they come in with their rates to increase rates if they can
  • And again, the rates would be charged for each year.
  • They would have no impact on rates for folks... ...represented, they would have no impact on rates for
  • You can only do that through rate increases, so no matter what we do here, there's going to be a rate
Bills: SB154, SB187, SB193, SM3
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • We do have a rating. But I don't have it with me.
  • Vega here might have the best rate at about 6% vacancy rate.
  • Regarding NBIS, our condition ratings, and our national bridge elements, NMDOT rates bridges using NBIS
  • ratings from 0 to 9.
  • NBE ratings, or National Bridge Element ratings, refer to our ability to rate each individual bridge