Gov. Jared Polis (D) issued an executive order announcing a special legislative session on August 21 to address a $1.2 billion budget shortfall caused by the passage of H.R. 1, the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. In addition to addressing fiscal issues, the Governor wants legislators to address health care, food insecurity and artificial intelligence issues.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Vendor Relations Unit will host its next Quarterly Vendor Information Conference Call on August 12 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am CST. Please use the following information to access the call: Dial-in Number: 844-291-5490 Access Code: 2902421
This call provides an opportunity for the Department of Human Services to share important program updates, address recent issues and hear general questions or concerns from vendors.
When joining the call, please be prepared to provide your name, company name and WIC Vendor ID (if you represent a specific vendor location).
Key discussion topics have been outlined in the agenda. If you would like to address a specific issue during the call, in addition to the topics on the agenda, please complete the Help IL WIC Improve vendor questionnaire before the call.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that Lee Grossman has been appointed as the new Director of Iowa Medicaid. Grossman, an Iowa native, brings more than 14 years of experience from the Wyoming Department of Health, where he most recently served as Medicaid Director since February 2023. Lee will begin this new role in early September.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
With dozens of overdose deaths in the state involving bromazolam, Attorney General Russell Coleman (R) is calling on the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) to take emergency action to ban the drug. Additionally, he has contacted the US Drug Enforcement Administration asking them to quickly schedule the drug as a controlled substance. The drug has already been scheduled in some states, including Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
The Board of Pharmacy will meet on August 19 and 20 at the Board’s office in Baton Rouge. The agenda has not yet been posted, but the meeting schedule is provided below:
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) announced the appointment of Douglas Jacobs, MD, MPH, as its new Executive Director, effective August 18. Dr. Jacobs, a primary care physician, brings extensive experience in public health leadership, policy innovation and clinical care. Most recently, he served as Chief Transformation Officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and previously held senior roles in Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, where he helped lead the state’s COVID-19 response. He is also a practicing primary care doctor with first-hand experience of how policies affect patient care.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
MassHealth shared this month’s Pharmacy Facts. The ordering, referring and prescribing (ORP) referring provider national provider identifier (NPI) is not required for claims for durable medical equipment (DME) and home infusion services billed by pharmacies through the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). To avoid denials for claims with dates of service on and after August 1, 2025, pharmacy providers should not enter the ORP referring provider’s NPI on the claims for DME and home infusion services billed through MMIS.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.
The Board of Pharmacy published its meeting agenda for August 20.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Please note survey open for public input on development of Rural Health Transformation Plan. On July 3, Congress passed via the FY 2025 budget reconciliation process H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Section 71401 of the Bill modifies Section 2105 of the Social Security Act and establishes a $50 billion grant program ($10 billion per fiscal year for FY 2026 – 2030) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to distribute payments to the 50 states through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Applications to participate in the grant program must be approved by the HHS Secretary no later than December 31, 2025.
The Office of the Governor, in coordination with the Division of Medicaid (DOM) and the State Department of Health (MSDH), intends to solicit public input through a public survey and a stakeholder forum by the Office of the Governor, develop a Rural Health Transformation Plan (Plan) and submit a timely application for the grant funding. The Office of the Governor will make the final selection for initiatives included in the Plan.
Please complete the survey by 5:00 pm on August 14: Rural Health Transformation Program Stakeholder Survey
See the full Survey: https://medicaid.ms.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Attachment-E-Rural-Health-Transformation-Program-Stakeholder-Survey.pdf
To learn more visit: https://medicaid.ms.gov/rural-health-transformation-program/
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
