The News
Daily coverage of the developments shaping health and human services. From policy shifts to program innovations, reports on trends-shaping mental health, addiction treatment, child and family services, autism and I/DD, disability support and long-term care, social services, corrections, juvenile justice, chronic disease management, health care systems, and more-helping leaders make timely, informed decisions.
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DOJ Offers More Than $211 Million For Reentry, SUD & Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Programs
September 10, 2026The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), opened five fiscal year 2026 grant opportunities totaling more than $211 million for criminal justice programs focused on reentry, substance use disorder treatment, crisis response, behavioral health… -
Nebraska Medicaid To Cover IMD Services For Serious Mental Illness
September 10, 2026The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a Nebraska Medicaid demonstration amendment allowing the state to receive federal Medicaid reimbursement for short-term treatment in institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) for beneficiaries ages 21 to 64 with serious mental… -
Maryland Sues Optum & UnitedHealth Group For $380 Million Over Medicaid Behavioral Health Contract
September 10, 2026Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced on August 27, 2026, that the state had filed a lawsuit against Optum and its parent company, UnitedHealth Group, alleging Optum defrauded the state’s Medicaid program through a defective claims processing system used… -
Meta Reaches $18 Billion Multistate Settlement Over Social Media Harm To Youth
September 10, 2026Meta reached an approximately $18 billion settlement with attorneys general representing 48 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories over allegations that Facebook and Instagram used platform features that harmed children and adolescents. The agreement was approved by… -
Louisiana To Launch Statewide Technology Platform For Foster & Kinship Caregiver Certification
September 10, 2026The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is planning an October 2026 statewide launch of HomeReady, a new technology platform designed to modernize the state’s existing process for approving and certifying foster and kinship caregivers. The platform, powered… -
Cannabis Use Disorder Increased Among U.S. Adults
September 10, 2026Cannabis use disorder (CUD) became more common among U.S. adults between 2021 and 2024. The number of adults with CUD increased from 15.3 million to 19.4 million during the period. Among males age 18 and older, past-year CUD increased from… -
Indiana Sets Hard Price Ceiling For Large Non-Profit Hospital Systems
September 10, 2026Indiana will impose commercial hospital price limits on large non-profit hospital systems beginning in 2029 under House Enrolled Act 1004. By June 30, 2029, affected systems must keep their aggregate average inpatient and outpatient hospital prices at or below statewide… -
Two Of Arizona Medicaid MCOs Did Not Complete Required Behavioral Health Parity Analyses
September 10, 2026Two of three Arizona Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) did not complete required annual analyses to demonstrate that prior authorization requirements for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services were no more restrictive than requirements for medical and surgical… -
Indiana Releases $68 Billion Procurement For All Four Medicaid Managed Care Programs
September 9, 2026Indiana released a $68 billion procurement to rebid the managed care contracts for all four of its Medicaid managed care programs, covering approximately 1.5 million beneficiaries. The procurement includes Indiana PathWays for Aging, which serves Medicaid members age 60 and… -
California Medicaid To Cut Asset Limit In July 2027 By 84%, From $130,000 For A Single Person To $21,000
September 9, 2026The California Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) will cut the asset limit for certain eligibility categories by 84% beginning July 1, 2027, from $130,000 for a single person to $21,000. The limit for a two-person household will fall from $195,000 to $31,000.…