Legislative Session Starts; MMA to Focus on 5 Major Issues
February 19, 2026
State lawmakers returned to St. Paul on February 17 for the second half of the 2025-2026 biennium.
Federal Govt. To Pull Back Public Health Funding from Minnesota, Others
February 12, 2026
On February 9, it was reported that the Trump administration plans to pull back $600 million in public health funding to Minnesota, California, Colorado, and Illinois.
The funds, administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are for grants to state and local public health departments and some nongovernmental organizations.
“It is concerning that HHS is cutting public health funding to local communities that cover core functions in the middle of a measles outbreak and other health threats,” said Deb Houry, MD, who served as the CDC’s chief medical officer before she resigned in August, The New York Times reported. “This coupled with large staffing cuts to federal public health leaves communities less prepared.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the grants, many of which support the LGBTQ community, do not reflect the priorities of the current administration.
Latest News
MMA Leaders Testify on Medicaid Cuts
February 19, 2026
On the second day of the legislative session, MMA leadership was already advocating for one of its top priorities - minimizing the harm of federal changes to Medical Assistance (MA).
MMA Priority Bill on AI and Prior Auth Already Moving at the Capitol
February 19, 2026
Legislation to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in prior authorization requirements was heard in the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee on February 19.