Update: What We’re Watching, Sept. 25, 2025

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Update: What We're Watching, Sept. 25, 2025

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing is a product series providing regular updates on federal health policy discussions. Sign up here to receive these summaries and more, and also follow KHI on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has told Kansas it is withholding SNAP funds for not complying with a data-sharing request. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the application for the Rural Health Transformation Program. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued new vaccine guidance, and the Make America Healthy Again Commission released a strategy for childhood chronic disease. Here is some of the news we are watching that could have an impact on Kansas.

The views expressed in the following news stories, news releases or documents are not necessarily those of the Kansas Health Institute (KHI). They are being shared with the intent of keeping Kansans informed of the latest developments related to federal health policy.

1. Kansas SNAP Administrative Funding May Be Withheld

On Sept. 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a formal disallowance letter to Kansas for failing to submit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment data requested by the agency earlier this year, withholding $10.4 million in administrative funding each quarter the state remains out of compliance. USDA first requested the data by July 30 and sent a final warning on Aug. 20, but Kansas officials declined to comply, citing ongoing litigation in other states and privacy concerns for roughly 730,000 Kansans. The state submitted a corrective action plan proposal to USDA on Sept. 19; however, it was rejected. While Attorney General Kris Kobach and Republican legislative leaders have urged the state agency to provide the data, Governor Laura Kelly's office said the state plans to appeal, which would pause the disallowance during review.

Read the letter from USDA: Notice of Disallowance

Read more from The Topeka Capital-Journal: USDA rejects Kansas compliance plan, proceeds to cutting $10.4M in SNAP funding

Read the original USDA request: SNAP Data Sharing Guidance

2. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Updates

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Met for the Second Time

At its Sept. 18‒19 meeting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that COVID-19 vaccination be determined through individual decision-making for all people six months and older, with the greatest benefit for those at higher risk of severe illness. America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a group which includes the largest insurers, announced that its members will continue to offer updated formulations of the COVID-19 vaccination to patients at no cost through the end of 2026. ACIP also endorsed universal hepatitis B testing in pregnancy and recommended standalone varicella (chickenpox) vaccination for toddlers instead of the MMRV combination, citing a higher risk of febrile seizures with the combination vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shared that it will continue to recommend that families have the option of receiving either the combined MMRV vaccine or separate doses for children under four. Earlier in the week, HHS and CDC announced the appointment of five new ACIP members with expertise in epidemiology, obstetrics and gynecology, pharmacy, pediatrics and transplant immunology. Recommendations from ACIP become part of the CDC immunization schedule if adopted by the CDC director.

Read the press release from HHS: HHS, CDC Announce New ACIP Members

Read the press release from HHS: ACIP Recommends COVID-19 Immunizations Based on Individual Decision-making

Read the press release from AHIP: AHIP Statement on Vaccine Coverage

Read more from the AAP: AAP breaks from federal vaccine panel, continues to recommend MMRV vaccine for children under 4

Rural Health Transformation Program Notice of Funding Opportunity Released

On Sept. 15, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the new $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. States are invited to apply by Nov. 5, 2025, for funding to strengthen rural health systems, expand access, build workforce capacity, foster innovation and support sustainable care. Awards will be announced by Dec. 31, 2025, with funds distributed over five years beginning in Fiscal Year 2026.

Stay tuned for a deeper dive from the Kansas Health Institute.

Read the press release from HHS: CMS Launches Landmark $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program

View the Grant Opportunity: Rural Health Transformation Program

MAHA Strategy Report Released

On Sept. 9, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released a national strategy with more than 120 initiatives aimed at addressing childhood chronic disease. The plan outlines proposals for research, executive actions, public awareness campaigns and private-sector collaboration across areas such as nutrition, chemical exposures, physical activity and vaccine policy. While public health experts and advocacy groups noted consensus on the need for action to address chronic disease, some raised questions about the plan's alignment with other federal policy and funding actions and potential implications for established vaccine frameworks.

Read the report: Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report

Read the press release from HHS: MAHA Commission Unveils Sweeping Strategy to Make Our Children Healthy Again

Read more from NPR: The MAHA plan for healthier kids includes 128 ideas, but few details

3. USDA Ends Annual Household Food Security Reports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Sept. 20 that it will terminate future data collection in the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. The 2024 data will be released in October, but the department indicated the Household Food Security Report will be its last release. For the past 30 years, the USDA has published data to measure food insecurity trends nationwide. USDA cited redundancy, cost and politicization of the food security data. Food security advocates raised concerns that ending the annual reports could reduce transparency at a time when there are predictions that hunger may increase due to rising food and housing costs. This change will affect national partners such as Feeding America and America's Health Rankings, as well as state and local partners in Kansas who rely on the data to inform decision-making.

Read the press release from USDA: USDA Terminates Redundant Food Insecurity Survey

Read more from Politico: USDA ends food insecurity survey

4. Administration Announces Autism-Related Actions

On Sept. 22, the Trump administration announced new steps to address rising autism rates, suggesting an association between acetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders. Federal officials said the FDA will begin updating drug labels and issuing physician guidance, while NIH will expand research into environmental and pharmaceutical factors through new grants. National medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, reaffirmed their positions on the safety of acetaminophen in pregnancy and encouraged patients to continue having discussions with their medical providers. The administration also announced that CMS and state Medicaid programs will cover prescription leucovorin, a therapy under review for children with autism.

Watch the announcement: President Trump Makes an Announcement on Medical and Scientific Findings for America's Children (recording begins at 48:36)

Read the press release from FDA: FDA Responds to Evidence of Possible Association Between Autism and Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy

Read more from the Kansas Reflector: Trump ties autism to Tylenol use in pregnancy despite inconclusive scientific evidence

Read more from KSHB: Kansas City experts weigh in on Trump administration's announcement linking acetaminophen to autism

News From the Kansas Delegation

Members of the Kansas congressional delegation have been active in recent weeks on a range of health care and related policy matters.

1. On Sept. 18, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) joined U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., along with patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers and advocates for roundtables discussing experiences, research needs and potential treatments for long COVID. Sec. Kennedy announced a new Long COVID consortium, a future public awareness campaign and an open-source medical resource platform, with commitments from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Read the press release from HHS: HHS Advances Fight Against Long COVID with Patient Roundtables and New National Efforts

Read the press release from Senator Marshall's office: Senator Marshall Joins Secretary Kennedy & Other Top Medical Experts During Long Covid Panel Discussion

1. On Sept. 11, Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Commissary Healthy Options and Servicemember Wellness Act that would authorize the Department of Defense to pilot a one-year program providing monthly commissary food coupons to junior enlisted service members at two military installations. Marshall, who chairs the Senate Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Caucus, said the effort would improve access to healthy, affordable food options, particularly for members of the armed forces living in unaccompanied housing.

Read the press release: Senators Marshall & Warnock Introduce Bipartisan Legislation Implementing MAHA in our Military

Read the bill language: S. 2772

1. On Sept. 9, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Kansas' application to raise the hospital provider tax rate from 3 percent to 6 percent, generating about $1 billion annually in Medicaid reimbursements. The Kansas Hospital Association credited the Kansas congressional delegation, led by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), for negotiations on H.R. 1 that kept the plan viable, and Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for working with CMS to keep it moving forward

Read the press release: Sen. Moran Statement on CMS Decision to Approve Kansas' Application to Increase Federal Reimbursements for Kansas Hospitals

Read more from the Kansas Hospital Association: 2025 Provider Tax Preprint Approval

Read more from 12 News: Kansas hospitals set to receive major funding boost, nearly $1 billion per year

1. On Sept. 8, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (R-KS) helped lead the introduction of a bipartisan package of bills to modernize Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) under the Medicare program and improve care for rural communities.
   1. R. 5198, the Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act, would update statutory language to ensure RHCs remain eligible for certification in communities under 50,000 people. The bill would close a gap created by 2020 Census definition changes, which left some moderately sized communities at risk of losing RHC status.
   2. R. 5199, the Modernizing Rural Physician Assistance and Nurse Practitioner Utilization Act, would allow RHCs to align physician assistant and nurse practice authority with state laws, reducing outdated federal restrictions.
   3. R. 5217, the Rural Behavioral Health Improvement Act, would remove the current cap that limits RHCs to providing no more than 49 percent of their services in behavioral health care. The change could allow RHCs to offer expanded mental health and substance use treatment while maintaining their certification.

Read the press release: Reps. Mann, Tokuda Lead Bipartisan Coalition of Members in Strengthening Rural Health Care

Stay tuned for further updates on policy shifts that may affect health programs and services in Kansas. For related work on how federal policies could impact Kansans, please check out Hill to the Heartland.

Funding for Hill to the Heartland is provided in part by the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, a Topeka-based philanthropic organization with the mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans. KHI retains editorial independence in the production of its content and its findings. Any views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sunflower Foundation.