State News

More than seven in every ten Kansas residents support expanding Medicaid, reports Kansas
Public Radio. Of those who reported supporting expanded coverage, that figure includes over
63% of Republicans and nearly 90% of Democrats. Medicaid expansion could extend
coverage to 152,000 additional low-income residents. Support for expansion correlates with
concerns about rural hospital closures, with a recent rise in agreement that it would aid
struggling facilities.

New Jersey Attorney General announced the adoption of new rules designed to promote
greater transparency in prescription drug pricing, reports NorthJersey.com. Effective
immediately, these rules will ensure public access to drug cost data, aiding the state's Drug
Affordability Council in shaping policy recommendations. The AG's office will use the reported
information to produce an annual report on emerging trends in prescription drug prices, which
will be made available on a prescription drug pricing webpage, and to assist the newly created
Drug Affordability Council formulate legislative and regulatory policy recommendations on
prescription drug affordability.

Starting November 1, 2024, new federal regulations will allow all DACA recipients across
Connecticut to obtain health coverage through the state-based Marketplace, reports the CT
Mirror. Although the state offers a wider range of affordable coverage options for immigrants
than many other states, the new federal regulation may support broader initiatives for covering
undocumented residents in Connecticut.

Maryland will implement upper payment limits for prescription drugs that state and local
agencies but for employee health plans, according to Maryland Matters. Upper payment
limits set a maximum rate that state government purchasers can pay for a prescription drug
product. Maryland’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board will begin setting up tools for
prescription cost reduction efforts for six drugs deemed unaffordable based on state standards.

More than 500 people in need of medical care showed up for free treatment Saturday at West
Virginia Health Right’s first ever #WeCareWV day, reports WV Public Broadcasting. Health
Right CEO Angie Settle says the response indicates how desperately West Virginia’s working
poor need affordable medical care. Dental and vision care were the most requested services.

An estimated 127,000 additional New Jersey families will receive medical debt relief,
reports CBS News. As part of an initiative to make health care more affordable through a state
partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt and funded by leftover federal pandemic
aid, the initiative purchases past-due debt from hospitals, benefiting residents below the
poverty line or those with significant debt relative to income.

Montana lawmakers plan to introduce a bill in January to enable Medicaid presumptive
eligibility for seniors and individuals with disabilities, reports the Daily Montanan. The goal of
presumptive eligibility is to avoid delays in providing stabilizing care outside of medical
facilities. The Montana proposal would, after state training, allow tribal entities, area agencies
on aging, and hospitals, among others, to screen patients for presumptive eligibility. Approved
patients would begin receiving services while state health officials review their applications.

Medical debt in Oklahoma is among the highest in the United States, reports The Journal
Record. The Oklahoma House Banking and Finance Committee met in October to gain insight
on the common causes and why Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for medical debt. 19.8%
of Oklahoma adults report having debt in collections, compared to a national average of
11.6%. Only Pontotoc County reports a debt rate below the national average. The median
medical debt in collections in 2022 was $886.

Telehealth visits are commonplace in primary care clinics, and research finds no harms to cost
of care in Minnesota, reports The Minnesota Star Tribune. Telehealth use increased from 3%
of primary care visits among privately insured Minnesotans in 2019 to more than 20% in 2021
according to a recent report from the Minnesota Department of Health. These visits, which
surged during the pandemic, continue at high levels without increasing overall health care
costs. The Minnesota Department of Health’s study found no significant long-term cost
savings, but telehealth remains valued for improving access, especially for rural and low-
income communities.