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This policy watch examines state-by-state school vaccine requirements and exemptions, including recent policy changes to them and the extent to which they may affect vaccination rates.
Some insurers in the ACA’s small group market are citing tariffs, particularly those affecting prescriptions drugs, as a reason for higher-than-expected premium increases.
On July 11, CMS notified states that, going forward, it does not anticipate approving new 1115 demonstration workforce initiatives or extending existing waivers. Such changes may limit states’ abilities to pursue initiatives investing in the Medicaid workforce.
This brief describes the new executive order, examines the intersection of homelessness and mental illness, reviews the history of the deinstitutionalization movement, and discusses specialized treatment services for people with SMI.
Under the reconciliation package, federal Medicaid spending in rural areas is estimated to decline by $137 billion, more than the $50 billion appropriated for the rural health fund.
This policy watch provides an update on the status of abortion restrictions in states that passed a constitutional amendment protecting abortion, or where a state court previously interpreted the state constitution as protecting abortion access.
This policy watch discusses a recent policy change by the Department of Health and Human Services that bars several groups of immigrants from accessing an updated list of "federal public benefits".
This policy watch examines 988 on its third anniversary, drawing from the latest Lifeline data available through May 2025 and suicide death data from CDC WONDER for the period 2013 to 2023. 988 received 16.5 million contacts since its launch in July 2022, including 11.2 million calls, 2.9 million texts, and 2.4 million chats.
On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion on Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, ruling that the ACA requirement that most private insurers and Medicaid expansion programs cover preventive services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) with no cost-sharing is constitutional.
The Supreme Court's ruling in Medina v. Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic means that Medicaid enrollees in South Carolina, and in other states that exclude Planned Parenthood going forward, will not be able to use their Medicaid coverage to obtain any preventive services, such as contraceptive care, STI treatment and cancer screenings, at Planned Parenthood clinics.
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