Newswatch Health State-by-State
Arkansas
Moderna flu vaccine OK'd by FDA panel | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
June 19, 2026 03:56 AM EDT
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
WASHINGTON -- A new kind of flu vaccine moved a step closer to the U.S. market Thursday as federal health advisers recommended approval of the first made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
California
A tax on billionaires qualified for the November ballot. 5 things to know about the measure
June 22, 2026 06:26 PM EDT
Daylight San Diego.
A union wants California’s billionaires to rescue the state’s healthcare system. The billionaires have other ideas.
California
California is getting ready to increase a health insurance tax. Will it affect your premium?
June 18, 2026 03:35 PM EDT
Danville San Ramon.
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Legislators this week approved a health tax bill meant to continue critical federal funding for the state’s Medicaid program, also known as Medi-Cal. Their approval comes despite warnings from health industry leaders that the tax, as designed, will raise premiums for privately insured […]
California
California Assembly Democrats Want to Tax Software, Health Plans in Revenue-Raising Package
June 17, 2026 01:01 PM EDT
CPA Practice Advisor.
The California Assembly easily passed bills to increase taxes on software programs and health insurance premiums and extended a cap on corporate tax credits Monday.
Colorado
With FDA backing, Colorado says state will save money by importing drugs from Canada
June 17, 2026 06:37 PM EDT
The Globe and Mail
Florida was the first state to be approved for the program in 2024, but no drugs were actually shipped
Connecticut
Connecticut: Have You Called 911 for Help? Tell Us About Your Experience.
June 22, 2026 08:00 AM EDT
ProPublica.
If you or someone you know has firsthand experience seeking emergency care in Connecticut, ProPublica and The Connecticut Mirror want to hear your story.
Florida
Commentary: Florida is unprepared to meet mental health needs of its seniors
June 18, 2026 05:30 AM EDT
the Orlando Sentinel
Florida has a shortage of mental healthcare providers for seniors, a shortfall that must be addressed as the state’s population ages.
Georgia
STUDY: Medicaid work requirements could be leading to poor mental health
June 18, 2026 02:30 PM EDT
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Under Georgia's partial Medicaid expansion program, Pathways to Coverage, eligible low-income adults are required to report 80 hours of work every a month to qualify for healthcare.
Georgia
Marjorie Taylor Greene says she has no health insurance in new video
June 18, 2026 12:58 PM EDT
USA Today
Former Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says she doesn't have health insurance and travels to Mexico for stem cell therapy in new video.
Hawaii
US Health Department announces over $700 million to combat mental health, addiction, homelessness - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
June 18, 2026 06:05 AM EDT
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
US Health Department announces over $700 million to combat mental health, addiction, homelessness - Nation and World News | Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Hawaii
Death rate in ICE immigrant detention centers more than doubles under Trump - West Hawaii Today
June 18, 2026 06:05 AM EDT
West Hawaii Today
A Vietnamese man with cardiovascular problems collapsed and died in the “Speedway Slammer,” the repurposed Indiana maximum-security prison that’s become a symbol of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. In a Pennsylvania detention center, a Chinese man who had previously attempted suicide was found hanging in the shower. In a New York facility, a Honduran man with an elevated heart rate and tremors from alcohol withdrawal died in his cell with no emergency care.
Illinois
Illinois hospitals owe the state more than $700M, sparking questions and calls for change
June 21, 2026 06:00 AM EDT
The Chicago Tribune
Across Illinois, 19 hospitals — mostly safety net hospitals like West Suburban and Weiss — owed the state nearly $705 million in taxes, penalties and advance payments, as of earlier this year.
Iowa
Why this Iowan has a state job but not the one that he planned
June 22, 2026 02:41 PM EDT
KTTC Television.
Larry Johson failed to earn the required support in the Iowa Senate -- because of Democrats in that legislative body -- to serve as the director of the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services but will instead hold a different prominent role in the department.
Iowa
Mental health counselor charged with ethics violation
June 22, 2026 11:00 AM EDT
Yahoo! Inc.
The Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals has now disclosed disciplinary charges it filed last summer against a mental health counselor. State records indicate that on July 29, 2025, the board...
Kansas
Medication abortions set to begin at Columbia Planned Parenthood this week
June 22, 2026 04:46 PM EDT
KMIZ-TV
Medication abortions are now available in Kansas City and St. Louis — and will start Wednesday in Columbia.
Kansas
Update: What We're Watching, June 18, 2026 - Kansas Health Institute
June 18, 2026 04:31 PM EDT
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Initiative.
This update covers the latest federal health policy news and its potential impact on Kansas.
Maine
Feds should let Maine use grant to help rural hospitals, Sen. Collins says
June 18, 2026 05:53 PM EDT
Sun Journal.
The Trump administration has limited avenues for Maine to directly pay rural hospitals with grant funding intended to keep them afloat.
Maryland
Measles case reported at Dulles Airport, Adams Morgan clinic
June 20, 2026 05:58 PM EDT
nbcwashington
A measles case has been reported in a Maryland resident who traveled internationally, the Maryland Department of Health said on Saturday.
Michigan
Vaccines work. Michigan politics, not so much | Opinion
June 19, 2026 12:01 PM EDT
Holland Sentinel.
Columnist Andrew Heller weighs in on happenings around Michigan this week.
Michigan
Press Release: Haley Stevens Criticizes RFK Jr. Visit to Michigan | Stock News
June 17, 2026 02:21 PM EDT
Quiver Quantitative
Haley Stevens criticized RFK Jr.’s Michigan visit, accusing him of harming public health and vaccine
Minnesota
The feds promised Minnesota's rural hospitals grant money to ease massive Medicaid cuts. Hospitals are still waiting.
June 22, 2026 05:00 AM EDT
Minnesota Public Radio News
Rural health care providers in Minnesota and across the country are bracing for heavy Medicaid funding cuts next year.
Minnesota
Walking 1,776 miles for youth mental health
June 19, 2026 07:39 PM EDT
Fox 9 News.
Jason Lennox plans to walk 1,776 miles across Minnesota in an effort to highlight the struggles kids face, especially in rural areas, and raise awareness and resources. FOX 9’s Corin Hoggard has the story.
Nevada
Affordable healthcare emerges as a voter priority in purple Nevada
June 22, 2026 05:00 AM EDT
CBS News
The Trump administration's cuts to Medicaid and SNAP may complicate Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's reelection chances.
New Hampshire
CMS approves budget for GO-NORTH, the state's federally funded rural health program - NH Business Review
June 19, 2026 02:29 PM EDT
New Hampshire Business Review.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved New Hampshire’s spending plan for a large tranche of federal money that will go toward rural health initiatives, state officials announced Thursday.
New Hampshire
Medicaid rate decreases hit nursing homes hard this year. Now, with renewed state investment, facilities should see change - Concord Monitor
June 19, 2026 12:58 PM EDT
Concord Monitor.
Nursing homes in New Hampshire are facing financial strain with reduced Medicaid rates.
New Mexico
THURS: New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver suspends Dem Lt. Gov. campaign, citing health, +More
June 18, 2026 08:56 AM EDT
kunm
After winning the Democratic nomination to be New Mexico’s next lieutenant governor in a landslide primary election on June 2, incumbent Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Thursday announced she was dropping out of the race.
New York
Federal Suit Traces Medicaid Fraud to the Top of NYS Government - Empire Center for Public Policy
June 19, 2026 02:55 PM EDT
Empire Center for Public Policy
The Trump administration's latest salvo against Medicaid fraud takes aim at a different kind of target – two high-ranking New York officials along with a major state contractor.
New York
Trump's DOJ sues NY, Medicaid contractor over alleged home care fraud
June 18, 2026 01:14 PM EDT
Democrat and Chronicle.
The Trump administration charges a contractor improperly kept "millions" from a Medicaid-funded home care program for New Yorkers with disabilities.
New York
How one Brooklynite is weighing her options as her 'Essential Plan' health coverage comes to an end
June 18, 2026 08:20 AM EDT
HealthBeat.
Actor Olivia Killingsworth has a life-threatening genetic condition. She’s one of thousands of New Yorkers facing tough decisions as ‘Essential Plan’ health coverage plan comes to an end.
North Carolina
11 NC hospitals warned by Trump administration on pricing transparency
June 22, 2026 02:25 PM EDT
the John Locke Foundation
Eleven North Carolina hospitals allegedly not in compliance with Trump's pricing transparency directives received either a warning or a request to take corrective action.
Ohio
DOJ, OhioHealth reach proposed settlement over anticompetitive insurer contracts
June 22, 2026 09:24 AM EDT
BenefitsPRO.
The agreement blocks contract terms regulators said limited insurers' ability to offer narrow networks, tiered plans and other cost-management tools.
Oregon
Oregon rural hospitals to get $37 million for maternity care
June 17, 2026 02:20 PM EDT
InvestigateWest
The state announced the new assistance as federal Medicaid cuts are expected to reduce Oregon’s program by $11 billion over five years
Pennsylvania
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association et al. v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. et al. | American Civil Liberties Union
June 22, 2026 12:57 PM EDT
the American Civil Liberties Union
The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) and its member, the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (FHCCP), sued the Trump administration to protect the integrity of the Title X family planning program. Title X is the country’s only dedicated federal program for family planning services. For more than 55 years, the program has provided access to effective contraceptive methods, cancer screenings, testing and treatment for STIs, and other preventive services, with priority given to patients with low incomes.
Pennsylvania
Figuring out how to expand healthcare access in Pennsylvania's rural communities | WITF
June 18, 2026 08:24 AM EDT
WITF, Inc.
Twenty percent of Pennsylvanians live in a rural area, yet only 10% of doctors and hospitals are located in their communities. The numbers are even worse for dentists, with only 6% practicing outside of the state’s metropolitan and suburban counties.
Rhode Island
Candidates Foulkes and McKee make their cases to Rhode Island voters
June 18, 2026 04:04 AM EDT
Ocean State Media
The Democratic candidates for governor discuss the economy, healthcare and public education ahead of the September 9 primary
South Dakota
South Dakotans report less healthy diets as food costs climb, survey finds
June 22, 2026 09:30 AM EDT
KOTA Territory News
A survey by Advance America found 17% of South Dakota families are buying fewer fruits and vegetables, and 51% say rising food costs have made their diets less healthy than 2-3 years ago.
Tennessee
Tennessee forces migrant parents with severely ill kids to make a choice: Drop out of healthcare program or risk deportation
June 22, 2026 12:49 PM EDT
Inkl
One mother who has a 10-year-old with severe spina bifida told news outlets she had already de-enrolled in the state program
Texas
Nearly 160 U.S. Troops Sick With Flu In Texas After Hegseth Axed Vaccine Mandate: Reports
June 19, 2026 10:36 AM EDT
HuffPost.
The outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base has reportedly hospitalized two recruits, though the number of cases and hospitalizations may be higher.
Texas
Texas Air Force base hit with influenza outbreak after Hegseth nixes mandatory vaccinations
June 19, 2026 07:28 AM EDT
Tag24.
An Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas was recently hit with a major influenza outbreak after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discarded vaccine mandates.
Texas
Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines
June 18, 2026 05:57 PM EDT
The Guardian.
Reports say Texas recruits ill from outbreak, which comes weeks after defense secretary made flu vaccine optional
Utah
Opinion: Utah audit reveals Medicaid dollars missing the bedside
June 20, 2026 03:00 PM EDT
Deseret News.
The Trump administration recently ordered states to audit their Medicaid providers to clamp down on fraud and abuse.
Utah
Utah marks a year of battling measles, with no clear end in sight
June 20, 2026 11:29 AM EDT
Public Broadcasting Service.
More than 680 people have gotten sick since the state's first outbreak began on June 20, 2025.
Vermont
Vermont's Governor Scott vetoes Legislature's latest attempt at health care reform - The Boston Globe
June 21, 2026 06:54 PM EDT
The Boston Globe
The bill was designed to fast-track premium savings for public school employees and people buying plans on Vermont’s Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Vermont
Scott vetoes Vermont Legislature's latest attempt at healthcare reform
June 18, 2026 05:21 PM EDT
Ottumwa Courier.
Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a healthcare bill aimed at fast-tracking premium savings for public school employees and those buying plans on Vermont’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. The bill would
Vermont
Vermonter's Memoir Recounts Recovery From Opioid Addiction | Seven Days
June 18, 2026 11:26 AM EDT
Seven Days.
Rory Van Tuinen's new book, 'Awakening the Heart,' details how he got clean using the psychedelic plant medicines ayahuasca and ibogaine.
Virginia
Editorial: Measles surge prompts action from Virginia health officials
June 22, 2026 06:15 PM EDT
The Virginian-Pilot
The best way to protect the wider community from measles is to make sure that children are vaccinated.
Virginia
Flanked by N. Va. lawmakers, Spanberger signs bills in Lorton to boost contraception access | FFXnow
June 19, 2026 01:45 PM EDT
FFXnow.
With the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial just a stone’s throw away, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed landmark reproductive freedom and contraception access legislation Wednesday during a ceremony at Occoquan Regional Park. The new law, the governor said, protects the right of Virginia women to access and use birth control and reduces the cost of contraception across
West Virginia
U.S. Rep. Carol Miller touts rural health care as way to thrive in Beckley visit
June 17, 2026 06:00 PM EDT
The Register-Herald.
BECKLEY — U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-1, visited Raleigh General Hospital on Wednesday to hear directly from hospital leaders about the challenges of rural health care in Southern West Virginia.
Wisconsin
Udell statement on Medicaid changes
June 19, 2026 11:15 AM EDT
Stoughton News.
Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services released guidance regarding upcoming federal changes to Medicaid requirements, which will go into effect in 2027 and will impact BadgerCare enrollees. Representative Randy Udell (D-47th District) released the following statement:
Wisconsin
TODAY: Protect Our Care Hosts Events Alongside Lawmakers, Health Care Leaders, and Advocates to Sound the Alarm as 1,000 Hospitals and Clinics Nationwide Face Possible Closure or Cuts — Protect Our Care
June 18, 2026 11:11 AM EDT
Protect Our Care
***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR JUNE 18, 2026*** Today, Protect Our Care is holding events in Wisconsin, New York, California, and Iowa featuring lawmakers, health care leaders and advocates to hold Trump...
Wyoming
Wyoming lawmakers mull solutions to rising healthcare costs - NewsBreak
June 18, 2026 03:07 PM EDT
News Break, Inc
CHEYENNE — Wyoming lawmakers and health care leaders gathered this week for the debut of the Legislature’s Health Insurance Affordability Task Force, a gro
