federal subsidies

The Jan. 3 snapshot, though incomplete, indicates a stabler marketplace and less coverage loss than many experts and insurers feared.

Texas is set to receive the largest award from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program — with federal officials awarding $1.4 billion to the state over five years. The state received millions more in funding that it asked for in its application.

Rural leaders who have worked years to improve broadband access said they were disappointed by the sharp decrease in federal dollars.

Enhanced credits for health insurance purchased from the Affordable Care Act marketplace expire at the end of this year. If they aren’t renewed, premiums will skyrocket for many people in Kansas and nationwide.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services will begin furloughs starting Sunday, affecting about 2,300 employees.

Democrats and Republicans have different proposals to keep feeding hundreds of thousands of Kansans. Food banks are preparing for an influx of demand.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days.

The conversation highlighted how the changes will impact Oklahoma's health care landscape, including hospital finances and patient access.

Texas' Planned Parenthood has lost half its clinics, but they continue to see thousands of patients a year.

As Texas develops its application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, rural hospital leaders say stabilizing their facilities should be a top priority. "Without it, all the planning in the world will not matter because there will be no hospital left to transform," one said.