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  • CMS Triples Harmful Impact of HR 1 Medicaid Provider Cuts in State Directed Payment Proposed Rule

    Massive Overreach will Undermine Access to Health Care for People Covered by Medicaid Last week, on May 20, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed regulation on state-directed payments (SDP). SDPs are a mechanism for states to improve managed care payments to providers (some previous background is here). Using SDPs,…

  • From Temporary Fixes to Lasting Change: Fixing CHIP Eligibility in Kansas

    By Heather Braum, Kansas Action for Children The Kansas State Legislature’s 2026 session proved successful for one particular policy: updating state law to ensure more eligible Kansas kids can access health coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). To understand why a small change will make a big impact on Kansas families – picture…

  • Medicaid Managed Care: The Big Five in Q1 2026

    The “Big Five” have reported their financial and enrollment results for the first calendar quarter of 2026. The “Big Five” are the five largest publicly-traded insurers, measured by enrollment, in the Medicaid managed care market. Four of them—United Health Group, Elevance, CVSHealth/Aetna, and Centene, in that order—were also the four largest commercial health insurers by…

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  • Protecting Maternal Heart Health and Lives: Key Takeaways from the New NASEM Report

    As Say Ahhh! Health Policy Blog readers know, the US rates for maternal mortality and pregnancy-related mortality and severe morbidity are high, with Black and Indigenous women experiencing the highest rates. In 2024, the maternal mortality rate for Black mothers was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, which was significantly higher than the rates for…

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  • CMS Weaponizes Fraud Against Medicaid in California

    For the second time in the 60-year history of the Medicaid program, a CMS deferral of federal matching funds has been announced by the Vice President of the United States at a White House press conference.  The first time was on February 25, when Vice President J.D. Vance told the press that CMS was delaying…