Latest News On Legislation

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Lawmakers Seek To Protect Crisis Pregnancy Centers as Abortion Clinic Numbers Shrink

KFF Health News Original

Some states have tried to crack down on crisis pregnancy centers, accusing them of deceptive practices. But now conservative lawmakers are pushing legislation to increase protections for the organizations, which work to dissuade women from abortions.

Reckoning With State and Federal Cuts, Los Angeles Safety-Net Clinics Push for a New Tax

KFF Health News Original

Across California and the nation, health providers, advocates, local officials, and state legislators are eyeing tax increases to offset a loss of more than $900 billion in federal Medicaid dollars as a result of the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In Los Angeles County, community clinics have banded together in support of a half-cent sales tax.

As Lung Disease Threatens Workers, Lawmakers Seek Protections for Countertop Manufacturers

KFF Health News Original

Crystalline silica, which is released into the air when workers cut and polish engineered stone, can scar human lungs beyond repair. Kitchen countertops made with this stone have triggered an increased rate of this fatal illness, doctors say.

Florida no amplió Medicaid, pero igual algunos legisladores quieren imponer requisitos de trabajo

KFF Health News Original

La medida desconcierta a defensores de la atención médica y a expertos en Medicaid. Algunos dudan, incluso, que sea legal bajo la principal ley de política interna del presidente Donald Trump.

Florida Hasn’t Expanded Medicaid. Lawmakers Want To Add Work Requirements Anyway.

KFF Health News Original

Florida is not mandated to add work requirements for Medicaid, because the state has not expanded eligibility to more low-income adults. But lawmakers have proposed requiring some adults in the state’s program to work anyway, a policy that could leave many uninsured.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: 40 Years of Health Policy

Podcast

This month is 40 years since host Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, began reporting on health policy in Washington. To mark the anniversary, Rovner is joined by two longtime sources to discuss what has — and has not — changed since 1986.

Lawmakers, Health Groups Resist Their States’ Rural Health Fund Plans

KFF Health News Original

Some Republican state lawmakers and state health associations are pushing back against spending plans under the Trump administration’s $50 billion federal rural health fund. Federal administrators already approved states’ plans, but in many cases, state lawmakers must greenlight spending.

State Lawmakers Seek Restraints on Wage Garnishment for Medical Debt

KFF Health News Original

At least eight states are considering legislation to curtail wage garnishment over unpaid medical bills, as health care costs rise and more people become underinsured.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?

Podcast

Congress has passed — and President Trump has signed — the annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. But it’s unclear whether the administration will spend the money as Congress directed. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss that story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Renuka Rayasam about a new reporting project, “Priced Out.”

Newsom ajusta su discurso sobre la salud de inmigrantes enfocado en una posible candidatura presidencial

KFF Health News Original

Newsom propuso que el estado no intervenga cuando, a partir de octubre, el gobierno federal deje de brindar cobertura médica a unos 200.000 residentes legales, entre ellos solicitantes de asilo y refugiados.

Newsom Walks Thin Line on Immigrant Health as He Eyes Presidential Bid

KFF Health News Original

Progressives are assailing Gov. Gavin Newsom for proposing to pull back coverage for some legal residents, such as refugees and asylum-seekers, while conservatives lambaste the California Democrat for using limited state funds on Medicaid coverage for immigrants without legal status.

GOP Promotes MAHA Agenda in Bid To Avert Midterm Losses. Dems Point to Contradictions.

KFF Health News Original

As fractures emerge in the Make America Great Again movement, some Republicans see its health-focused “MAHA” counterpart as the party’s next big thing. But doubts abound.

States Race To Launch Rural Health Transformation Plans

KFF Health News Original

Every state will receive at least $100 million annually from the federal Rural Health Transformation fund, but some scored millions more based on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services judged the “quality” of their plans and willingness to pass policies embracing “Make America Healthy Again” initiatives.

RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement Has Picked Up Steam in Statehouses. Here’s What To Expect in 2026.

KFF Health News Original

“Make America Healthy Again” policies driven by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made major strides in state legislatures, with food additives among the most common targets. The trend is expected to continue this year.

‘Abortion as Homicide’ Debate in South Carolina Exposes GOP Rift as States Weigh New Restrictions

KFF Health News Original

A proposed abortion ban in South Carolina would have allowed the criminal prosecution of women who obtain the procedure. It’s unlikely to become law, but this bill and other proposals across the country show how some conservative lawmakers are embracing increasingly punitive abortion restrictions.

Medicaid Health Plans Step Up Outreach Efforts Ahead of GOP Changes

KFF Health News Original

Even as President Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers say the One Big Beautiful Bill Act targets waste, fraud, and abuse, Medicaid health plans are hosting events across the U.S. to prevent low-income families from losing health insurance and food benefits next year.

States Advance Medical Debt Protections as Federal Support Turns to Opposition

KFF Health News Original

Federal officials reversed their stance on medical debt credit reporting, then came a lawsuit in Colorado. As lawmakers in other states forge ahead with attempts to protect consumers from medical debt, some are reconsidering how they go about it.