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Access to Maternity Care in Rural Areas Likely to Get Worse Due to Medicaid Cuts
As part of CCF’s Rural Health Project, we continue to track the important role Medicaid plays in rural America. A recent research paper on hospitals and maternity care has some important insights, especially for parents in rural areas and small towns. KFF researchers found that 1 in 3 hospitals providing inpatient maternity care to Medicaid…
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Maternity Care Billing Changes Begin in 2027 with Potential for Better Transparency and Payments Across the Continuum of Care
As readers of Say Ahhh! know, 2027 will bring a host of unprecedented Medicaid changes, including work reporting requirements. One less prominent change ahead is adoption of new maternity care codes for insurance payers. Adopting new codes for maternity care adds to the long list of Medicaid agency to-dos, but remains critical for understanding and…
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New CDC Data Shows Increase in Vaccine Exemptions and Less Vaccine Coverage Nationally
On the heels of President Trump’s executive order directing changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated data for the 2025-2026 school year showing a decrease in coverage on all vaccines for incoming kindergartners. Specifically, vaccination rates to protect against diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus,…
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H.R. 1 Readiness Tracker Update: Strain Is Building Before the Work Reporting Requirements Clock Starts
As states prepare to implement work reporting requirements, we are closely monitoring Medicaid and CHIP performance indicators on our H.R. 1 tracker. The latest Q1 2026 data show the status of state eligibility systems and processes right before most states start notifying enrollees about the requirements. The short answer: already strained and getting worse. Renewals…
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Uninsured Infants and Toddlers Now Above 5% Nationally
What happens when children don’t have health insurance? Their families are exposed to greater financial risk if an accident or asthma attack puts their child in the emergency room. They are less likely to get regular check-ups and health services to keep them developmentally on track. For infants and toddlers, missing regular check-ups risks leaving…