Coverage

• Patients and providers in Colorado reported rising health care costs due to Trump administration policies including H.R.1 Medicaid requirements and ended ACA tax credits, discussed at a March 25 virtual roundtable with Sen. John Hickenlooper. • Nearly 250,000 Coloradans risk losing Medicaid coverage, exacerbating rural health care deserts where 82% of hospitals operate on unsustainable margins, per Craig Memorial Regional Health CEO Jennifer Riley. • Uninsured patients will seek emergency care at the highest cost level, straining providers and worsening access, especially for women's health services.

• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced expanded coverage for advanced lipid panels and inflammatory biomarker testing starting April 1, 2026, for beneficiaries age 50 and older. • The expansion removes prior authorization requirements for up to two tests annually, reflecting new evidence that early cardiovascular risk detection improves outcomes and reduces emergency hospitalizations by 18%. • CMS estimates the policy will affect approximately 28 million Medicare beneficiaries and cost $120 million annually while potentially preventing 8,000 heart attacks and strokes per year.

• The Trump administration launched investigations on March 19, 2026, into 13 states requiring health insurance to cover abortion, citing violations of the Weldon Amendment. • Targeted states include California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, most with Democratic governors. • HHS Civil Rights Director Paula M. Stannard stated the probes address states' disregard for protections allowing health entities to opt out of abortion coverage on conscience grounds.

US president on social media said he was ‘thrilled’ that Brendan Carr was looking into broadcasters’ licenses Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Donald Trump reinforced comments made by Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), threatening the broadcast licenses of news organizations that report unfavorably on the war in Iran.In a Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump said he was “thrilled” that Carr was “looking at the licenses of some of these Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic ‘News’ Organizations. They get Billions of Dollars of FREE American Airwaves, and use it to perpetuate LIES …”. Continue reading...

The AMA submitted comments on March 13, 2026, recommending CMS actions to help states implement Medicaid community engagement requirements without causing unwarranted coverage losses for eligible enrollees. In separate marketplace plan comments, AMA stressed maintaining affordable, comprehensive coverage, warning proposed affordability boosts could destabilize risk pools and limit patient access. These advocacy efforts address national issues impacting physicians and patients amid ongoing health policy shifts. Senate HELP Committee bills from March 6 promote health care cybersecurity coordination and protections for living organ donors.