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FQHC Talent

The Record

The week on the record

39 records · 12 issues

Analysis

By issue

The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program

Delaware's round of nearly $23 million goes to its three federally qualified health centers. States are announcing awards and the health center share varies widely. Indiana's $112.4M in regional grants lists at least a dozen FQHCs as subrecipients, while Hawaii's first $58 million and Vermont's $11.7M round name no health center. In Maine, 100 lawmakers asked for $3 million to $6 million of the state's allocation to keep Penobscot Community Health Care open. State award lists often name more health centers than the press releases: New York's includes Refuah Health Center at $3.5 million, and South Carolina's funds at least ten health centers across 228 projects. (as of )

Analysis · FQHC Talent

The first rural health award lists name one health center

New Jersey's first $83 million Rural Health Transformation round names one Section 330 health center, Zufall Health, with $754K across two awards. Coverage of Wyoming's $205 million allocation names none, though the full award list is not published.

NJWY
1 more record

Medicaid work-requirement implementation

Enrollees and physician groups filed a second challenge, Taylor v. Kennedy, on September 18, aimed at the rule's medical-frailty provisions. CMS told states on September 8 to check frailty against claims, encounter and health information exchange data first. The federal rule is in effect and every state must apply it no later than January 1, 2027. A federal court denied preliminary relief in Massachusetts v. Oz without deciding the merits. Montana begins removals for noncompliance on October 1, and Kentucky's three-of-six-month lookback is already running. (as of )

HRSA Health Center Program rules

HRSA extended funding for the 272 health centers in the FY2027 Service Area Competition through June 30 or July 31, 2027, while it makes new awards; each center must still compete. HRSA's New Access Points round is landing as $650,000 awards: two Texas look-alikes became Section 330 grantees, and Thrive Alabama plans a new Albertville site for mid-December. HRSA's 2025 UDS data is published by state. (as of )

Medicaid financing and eligibility operations

Coverage is already falling before work requirements start: Michigan Medicaid has lost more than 80,000 people since January, and Texas's application backlog grew to more than 210,000 in August. Plan changes add to it: Healthy Blue leaves Louisiana Medicaid on December 31, moving more than 290,000 members on January 1. Comments on CMS's provider-tax implementation rule closed September 21 with no extension; the final rule is next. (as of )

ACA marketplace coverage and uninsured demand

Pennsylvania approved an average 15.97% increase for 2027 individual plans. The enhanced premium credits have expired and states are now approving 2027 rates: Washington approved an average 22.2% increase and Connecticut 11.3% for individual plans. In New York, nearly 192,000 of the roughly 450,000 people who lost expanded Essential Plan coverage had not enrolled in new coverage by July 31. (as of )

AI in care: law, oversight and adoption

OpenAI connected ChatGPT for Healthcare to Epic on September 1, with UCSF Health as pilot partner; no source says whether OCHIN Epic health centers can use it. All four California AI-in-healthcare bills are on the Governor's desk and each must be acted on by September 30. AAAHC's v45 accreditation standards add AI governance expectations for surveys on or after December 15, 2026. In a survey of 784 health center patients, 64% were uncomfortable with AI in their care and 70% want to be told when it is used. (as of )

Behavioral-health integration and capacity

California's acute psychiatric staffing ratios took effect June 1. Capacity is moving in both directions: Hillsboro Medical Center's 21-bed geriatric psychiatry service ended September 4, while nearly $14M in BHCIP Round 5 funding supports a new tribal health and wellness center in Jamestown. North Carolina won $5.2 million from SAMHSA to strengthen its 988 crisis line, plus mobile crisis funding for four northeastern counties. (as of )

Government · California Department of Public Health

California's acute psychiatric staffing ratios took effect June 1

Event:

California Department of Public Health emergency regulations filed June 1, 2026 require acute psychiatric hospitals to maintain at least one licensed nurse for every six adult patients and one for every five patients under age 18.

CASource

340B drug pricing

HRSA's revised rebate pilot is planned for January 2027 and does not exempt health centers; approvals of manufacturer plans are due September 24. In the states, a federal judge upheld Mississippi's contract-pharmacy law, the Fourth Circuit is rehearing the West Virginia and Maryland cases en banc, and Oregon's case is set for argument September 28. (as of )

California's state-only Medi-Cal coverage

AB 173 (Chapter 252), signed September 18, restructures full-scope eligibility for immigrants with a specified status from October 1 and exempts pregnant and postpartum people from the dental limit. In CMSP's 35 counties, proposed cuts would return undocumented adults to emergency-only coverage. California's enacted 2026–27 budget keeps state-only PPS payment and full adult dental through June 2027. On January 1, 2027, defined UIS members move to a different way of receiving Medi-Cal care; their coverage does not end. DHCS's draft PPS guidance would put enrollment assistance by clinic staff on the non-reimbursable list. (as of )

Community Health Center Fund and federal appropriations

The stopgap signed September 2 funds the government through December 11. The mandatory Community Health Center Fund expires December 31, 2026, 20 days later, and no enacted bill extends it. A House committee advanced a separate $750M health center package 45-0 in July; it has not become law. HRSA's NHSC loan repayment forms are open for public comment until October 27. (as of )

Health center openings, closures and mergers

Closures and openings are arriving together. Minnesota's largest health center closed two St. Paul clinics and Partnership Health Center will close its Seeley Lake clinic October 31, while Thrive Alabama plans a new Albertville site and two South Carolina health centers plan a merger into one 24-site organization, pending HRSA approval. North Hudson Community Action Corporation opened a Weehawken health center on September 18. (as of )

Immigration enforcement, public charge and immigrant eligibility

Twenty-one states, Pennsylvania's governor and D.C. sued on September 14 to stop the new public charge rule. A separate federal change narrows which lawfully present immigrants qualify for Medicaid on October 1; Indiana, North Carolina and Michigan have each published how it will apply. The court has set an initial conference for October 9, and the rule remains in effect. In New Jersey, as many as 25,000 noncitizens could lose coverage on October 1. (as of )

The next two weeks

Public dates in the 14 days after Aug 23, 2026.

Updated records

Records published earlier that changed this week: a correction, a new status or a replaced source.

Other records

7 records with no linked issue

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