Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed three affordable housing bills into law: House Bill 538 (the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024); HB 599 (the Housing and Community Development Financing Act of 2024); and HB 693 (the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024). The bills fall in line with the Moore Administration’s goal of … Read more
Senate File 4704 received unanimous support from the Minnesota Senate Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention last month. The bill would increase funding for rental assistance and simplify the applicant information verification process. It also addresses the implementation of recommendations made by the Workgroup on Expediting Rental Assistance for the state’s family homelessness prevention and … Read more
Experts discussed ways to increase affordable housing in Hawaii at the 2024 Hawaii State of Reform Health Policy Conference. They discussed challenges related to the permitting process, as well as legislation related to the cause. Josh Wisch is president and executive director of Hololuma Collective, which works to keep Hawaii’s working families in the state. … Read more
At the 2023 Minnesota State of Reform Health Policy Conference, leaders met to discuss how the state is using funding dedicated to addressing the housing crisis and homelessness. Blair Harrison, senior policy director for population health and social care at UnitedHealthcare Community and State, noted how much the state’s housing landscape has changed in the … Read more
California Assembly Health Committee members unanimously passed the Behavioral Health Services Act through Senate Bill 326 during their meeting last month, despite strong opposition from meeting attendees. The bill aims to address the remaining gaps within behavioral healthcare services, and it will be up for a public vote during the March 5th statewide primary election. … Read more
At the 2023 Southern California State of Reform Health Policy conference, leaders discussed a key issue facing both the state of California and the entire country—permanent and affordable housing. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency to accelerate resources to individuals experiencing homelessness. A primary issue contributing … Read more
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency to accelerate resources to individuals experiencing homelessness. While the state continues to scramble to address this growing issue, Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) Health Net and LA Care Health Plan are investing $114 million over the next few years to … Read more
In this edition, we provide an update on some of the work underway to prepare for Medi-Cal redeterminations, conversations in the legislature about how to respond to the high rate of older adults experiencing homelessness, information about San Diego County’s first naloxone vending machine, and more. We recently released the Topical Agenda for the 2023 Northern California … Read more
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) released its action plan on non-medical drivers of health (NMDOH) at the Value-Based Payment and Quality Improvement Advisory Committee meeting on Feb. 21st. NMDOH, also referred to as social determinants of health, are conditions where people “live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide … Read more
Our first Oregon newsletter of 2023 includes an effort underway to regulate PBMs in the state, healthcare highlights from Gov. Kotek’s first state budget proposal, recent discussions about whether to pursue universal health coverage expansion in the legislature, and more. Thank you for reading! Eli Kirshbaum State of Reform 1. Lawmakers focus on PBM … Read more