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Teachers and staff in Sheridan School District could lose their health insurance starting May 1 as a teachers strike that began three weeks ago in the tiny Denver metro district drags on. The seismic tensions between district and union leaders have prompted Gov. Jared Polis’ office to intervene in hopes of making progress on negotiations.

Members of Polis’ team met in his office Thursday morning with Superintendent Gionni Thompson, school board president Karla Najera, Sheridan Educators Association president Kate Biester and another representative from the Colorado Education Association, according to CEA spokesperson Kailee Stiles.

Polis on Wednesday warned the sides that his office would step in if they did not reach an agreement.

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Polis said the meeting set up by his office was still ongoing.

“They can’t figure everything out, that’s fine,” Polis said. “Let’s at least get the teachers back to the classroom, kids back to the classroom.”

“It’s hard to make up some of those missing educational hours,” he added. “So I continue to encourage both sides to be able to resolve what can be resolved, and agree to disagree and figure out the rest at some point in the future, after the school year is over.”

The meeting comes after district officials notified teachers in an email Wednesday that they will no longer receive health insurance benefits through the district and some employees might owe the district money.

On Thursday evening, Thompson called conclusions the union drew from the email a “misunderstanding.”

Thompson told The Colorado Sun that the district wanted to warn employees who haven’t been paid while on strike that their health insurance coverage could lapse if they do not keep up with paying the employee share of their premiums, which often comes directly out of their paycheck.

“We didn’t want to have any employee in a situation where they may not have coverage,” Thompson said.

The Sun obtained the email circulated Wednesday by Jamie Romero, the district’s executive director for human resources.

“This has been an incredibly challenging time for our entire school community, and I recognize the personal and professional strain that this situation may be placing on you and your families,” Romero wrote. “As the strike continues, we have reached a point where there may be financial implications related to employee benefits. Depending on your individual benefit elections and coverage, there is a possibility that you may be responsible for reimbursing the District for your portion of benefit premiums that have been paid during this time.”

The district email notes that employees can continue receiving coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, and they would have to pay the cost of their premium.

CEA acknowledged the misunderstanding in a statement Thursday evening, attributing it to “unfortunate timing” of the district’s email.

The Sheridan Educators Association is “pleased to hear the district never intended to cause harm to educators in this way,” Stiles, of CEA, wrote in the statement.

Biester, also a social studies teacher, wrote in a statement Thursday morning that the district’s plan to no longer cover health insurance for staff is an indication that district officials are “more interested in punishing educators for going on strike than getting us all back into our classrooms.”

“Our negotiations are at a standstill because the district wants us to work without the basic workplace protections we need,” Biester wrote in the statement. “Cutting us, and our families, off from basic healthcare access doesn’t achieve any policy goals here; it’s just cruel.”

The local union began striking April 1 after educators have worked the entire school year without an active teachers contract. The previous contract expired July 31 and the union is urging the district to recognize the union as a bargaining unit. Union and district leaders remain gridlocked over a district policy that lays out the process for the district to recognize a union.

Emotions have run high over the past three weeks. The Sheridan Educators Association is threatening to recall the district’s four school board members while state lawmakers are crafting legislation that would consolidate Sheridan School District with another district, possibly Denver Public Schools.

Staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.

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Will the latest Kona low storms further strain Hawaii’s home insurance market, resulting in greater gaps in coverage?

The Insurance Fairness Project released a report Thursday detailing how costly climate disasters will shift Hawaii’s risk profile, resulting in even higher property insurance rates. This, in turn, will worsen Hawaii’s insurance crisis, leaving homeowners to pay the price.

Hundreds of thousands of properties in Hawaii do not currently qualify for flood insurance, the report noted, and many remain uninsured or underinsured despite these growing environmental risks.

Hawaii farmers, for instance, do not qualify for federal crop insurance since it is only available to large-scale, single-crop farms more commonly found on the U.S. continent.

“Hawaii is one of the states on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and the insurance system simply isn’t built to keep up,” said TJ Helmstetter, spokesperson for the Insurance Fairness Project, described as a national information hub. “Families are being priced out of protection, farmers are left without viable options, and entire communities are one disaster away from financial ruin.”

Policymakers have a narrowing window to close these dangerous coverage gaps, he added, and to ensure families are not shouldering the entire bill.

These extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more costly, the report noted, while insurance markets are struggling to keep pace, leaving Hawaii residents vulnerable to financial ruin when disaster strikes.

The Hawaii Insurance Division, however, said the Insurance Fairness Project report is an advocacy analysis, and that some of its statements are not based on data that it collected or verified.

“Like every other state in the U.S., Hawaii is experiencing increased pressure on its insurance market driven by a combination of factors,” said the division in a written statement, “including catastrophe risk, reinsurance costs, inflation, and property-specific vulnerabilities.

The division added that some of the specific claims in the report should be “viewed with caution.”

Coverage gaps

The cost of property insurance in Hawaii has only gotten more expensive, the report said, in the aftermath of recent, extreme weather-related events.

While the report said some home insurance providers hiked average premiums by more than 50% last year, following the Maui wildfires of August 2023, the Hawaii Insurance Division said that may reflect individual cases or limited datasets, but not necessarily statewide averages.

“Premium changes vary significantly by insurer, location and risk profile,” said the division.

Insurance claims for the recent Kona low storms, meanwhile, are likely still being worked out, for those who were covered.

The back-to-back storms which occurred over two weekends in March resulted in extensive damage, flooding hundreds of properties, including homes, schools, farms and businesses.

The torrential rains resulted in mudslides, landslides and sinkholes, damaging Hawaii roadways – and the closure of Kula Hospital on Maui.

Hawaii’s coverage gaps became clear in the aftermath of the storms, as most homeowners and renters learned their standard insurance policies were not accompanied by separate flood insurance to cover claims for floodwaters from the ground up.

According to the report, only 4.2% of properties statewide actually carry flood insurance. Some property owners do not have flood insurance because it is too expensive or because they were denied.

Hawaii farmers, meanwhile, are unable to find insurance policies that match their needs, the report said. Federal crop insurance is only available to large-scale, single-crop farms, but most farms in the Hawaiian isles grow diverse crops, and are a median size of 5 acres due to limited land availability.

The options are also prohibitively expensive, the report said. A small, family-run farm facing $2,000 a year in insurance premiums likely will opt to go without it.

“This extreme gap in coverage is especially concerning given how quickly flooding can occur in the islands,” said the report, “where intense rainfall can overwhelm landscapes within minutes.”

Critical infrastructure

At the same time, the report said, the recent storms “exposed critical vulnerabilities” in infrastructure across the state.

“Floodwaters overwhelmed drainage systems not designed to carry this amount of water, inundating neighborhoods and damaging essential infrastructure,” said the report. “Roads were washed out, and water systems were compromised throughout multiple zip codes. Residents on Oahu were advised to boil their tap water before use and stockpile drinking water for up to two weeks due to contamination risks.”

Additionally, the report mentioned that Wahiawa Dam on Oahu, a 120-year-old dam owned by Dole Food Co., had accumulated fines since 2009 for not complying with safety standards.

City officials issued an evacuation notice for Waialua and Haleiwa residents during the second Kona low storm, warning that Wahiawa Dam failure was in progress or expected, which put communities on edge.

The dam ultimately did not fail during the Kona low storms, but the state is now moving to acquire it to make necessary upgrades.

These critical infrastructure weaknesses, the report said, make extreme weather disasters more costly.

“These risks to public health and safety highlight the need to update and maintain private and public infrastructure,” the report said. “The aftermath also surfaced gaps in the government’s ability to hold private companies and landowners accountable for risky or negligent behavior that creates or worsens risks.”

State leaders have responded, the group noted, but are not keeping pace with the rapidly escalating problem.

In 2025, Gov. Josh Green convened a task force to develop strategies for stabilizing the insurance market.

That year, the state Legislature passed a Senate bill that became Act 296, which reactivated the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund to provide insurance coverage in scenarios where the private market fails to do so.

As of April 3, the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund has issued 97 policies totaling about $2.7 million to condominium properties seeking hurricane property coverage, the state Insurance Division said.

Several legislative bills were introduced this session related to property insurance.

Among them are Senate Bill 2960, which establishes a minimum time frame of 24 months following loss for policyholders to submit documentation for full replacement costs of their homes. It also would allow extensions for good cause.

Senate Bill 1166 seeks to recover climate-related losses from a “responsible party” such as major oil and gas corporations.

The Hawaii Property Insurance Association, the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund, or any private insurer would be allowed to bring civil action claims against responsible parties for losses resulting from climate change related disasters.

In December, the Hawaii Appleseed Center also released a report on how escalating climate disasters are reshaping the insurance market, and how they would impact working families, kupuna, and fixed-income households.

That report also warned that without swift action, escalating climate disasters would leave Hawaii homes uninsured.

The Hawaii Insurance Division said it would “continue to monitor market conditions, review rate filings, assist consumers, and work with policymakers and stakeholders to improve access to coverage while maintaining a stable and competitive insurance market.”

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Immigration declines are leading to an employment slowdown in Texas, according to data from the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank.

The Fed released its newest employment forecast on Friday. Based on four models, including projected national GDP, oil futures prices and the Texas and U.S. leading indexes, the report forecasts that jobs in Texas will grow by 1.4% in 2026, following a sluggish February for employment growth.

A more optimistic forecast released earlier in April predicted employment growth in the state would be closer to 1.9%, translating to an overall addition of 278,400 jobs in 2026. The newly released forecast now puts that total closer to 205,500 jobs by the end of the year.

Texas employment grew by only 0.3% in February, according to the report.

Luis Torres, a senior economist with the Dallas Fed, said declines in immigration are among “several headwinds” contributing to the slowdown.

“Declining immigration is constraining labor supply, and higher productivity is suppressing labor demand,” Torres wrote in a statement.

U.S. Census Bureau data released earlier this year showed net international migration fell to 1.3 million in 2025, after peaking at 2.7 million in 2024. That number is expected to fall to just 321,000 in 2026 if trends continue, according to the data.

Based on census data analyzed by the Brookings Institution, Dallas-Fort Worth recorded a 52% decrease in net immigration in that time, translating to a year-over-year decline of over 65,000 arrivals. In a separate Brookings report, analysts attributed the slowdown to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration stance that has resulted in ending refugee programs, halting asylum claims at the southern border, stifling green card processing and travel bans.

The Brookings report also states that lower immigration levels generally do not create more jobs for U.S. citizens and lead to a smaller economy overall with fewer consumers and producers, ultimately harming the country’s economic growth.

In the statement, Torres also said that business activity in the state “has recently moderated, and geopolitical uncertainty remains elevated.” On Wednesday, the AP reported that Iran had fired on three ships and seized two of the vessels in the Strait of Hormuz despite a ceasefire deal touted by Trump, again threatening a critical worldwide oil chokepoint.

“Meanwhile, high oil prices are expected to boost state economic activity only if they are sustained,” Torres wrote.

The largest employment gains were seen in the information, professional and business services and manufacturing industries, Torres said. Trade and transportation, oil and gas and other services accounted for some of the largest employment declines.

Employment growth in Texas stalled in 2025 after years of surpassing nationwide averages in job gains. While Texas still fared exceptionally well compared to other states, job growth fell to near zero in 2025.

Among major Texas metropolitan areas, only Dallas recorded employment growth, with a meager 0.1% increase in jobs in February. Employment in Austin declined by 3.3%, and along with El Paso and Houston, Fort Worth trailed the state capital with a 1.6% decline. Overall unemployment rates, however, decreased everywhere except in Houston in February.

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After Congress failed to extend deeper subsidies for Americans’ health insurance, an estimated 30,000 more Idahoans who had insurance are likely to be uninsured this year.

That’s according to a report from Your Health Idaho, the state’s insurance exchange. The report highlights how Idaho’s health insurance market has changed this year — as consumers face premium hikes from insurance companies and Congress’s decision to let enhanced premium tax credits expire.

In the months since open enrollment, when people can pick health insurance plans, about 24,400 people disenrolled from health insurance plans on the exchange. That’s a big shift since last year, when just under 16,000 people had their plans canceled later. Your Health Idaho Executive Director Pat Kelly said the figures are among many that show affordability is a key concern this year.

“We hope that the 24,000 is the end of it,” Kelly told the Idaho Capital Sun on Wednesday.

“All the way through open enrollment, affordability really permeated all the decisions that we saw,” he added, listing out a range of shifts this year, like more people buying cheaper health insurance plans, and more people canceling plans.

The cancellations leave Idaho’s health insurance exchange, a common option for people whose jobs don’t offer insurance, with 3.6% less enrollees than it had last year.

For those who still have insurance on the exchange, it’s often getting more expensive. Your Health Idaho’s report found that the share of Idahoans who are paying more than $300 a month in premiums rose by 13%, while the share of Idahoans who are paying $100 or less fell by 19%.

When open enrollment ended in December, Kelly said it’d likely take until April for enrollment to settle after cancellations. Part of that is because of consumer protections, he explained. There are grace periods before consumers’ plans are terminated for nonpayment, which can take up to 90 days for renewed customers. Kelly said he isn’t sure how many of the cancellations were by insurers, or by consumers.

“We’re thrilled that Idahoans understand the value of having health insurance, and we’re still concerned about the affordability impacts on the market,” Kelly said.

What are the enhanced premium tax credits?

In Idaho, the enhanced premium tax credits reduced premiums by an average of $407 each month, according to the nonpartisan health policy group KFF. About 87% of Idahoans who have insurance through the state exchange received the credits, according to a report by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“Idaho is about to be ground zero for a national health care affordability crisis — not because Idahoans did anything wrong, but because Republicans in Congress refuse to act,” Ada County Democratic Party Chair Jared Deloof told reporters at a news conference in December near U.S. Sen. Jim Risch’s office in downtown Boise.

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Teachers and staff in Sheridan School District could lose their health insurance starting May 1 as a teachers strike that began three weeks ago in the tiny Denver metro district drags on.

District officials notified teachers in an email Wednesday that they will no longer receive health insurance benefits through the district and some employees might owe the district money.

“This has been an incredibly challenging time for our entire school community, and I recognize the personal and professional strain that this situation may be placing on you and your families,” Jamie Romero, the district’s executive director for human resources, wrote in an email obtained by The Colorado Sun. “As the strike continues, we have reached a point where there may be financial implications related to employee benefits. Depending on your individual benefit elections and coverage, there is a possibility that you may be responsible for reimbursing the District for your portion of benefit premiums that have been paid during this time.”

The email notes that employees can continue receiving health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, and they would have to pay the cost of their premium.

Kate Biester, president of Sheridan Educators Association and a social studies teacher, wrote in a statement that the district’s plan to no longer cover health insurance for staff is an indication that district officials are “more interested in punishing educators for going on strike than getting us all back into our classrooms.”

“Our negotiations are at a standstill because the district wants us to work without the basic workplace protections we need,” Biester wrote in the statement. “Cutting us, and our families, off from basic healthcare access doesn’t achieve any policy goals here; it’s just cruel.”

The local union began striking April 1 after educators have worked the entire school year without an active teachers contract. The previous contract expired July 31 and the union is urging the district to recognize the union as a bargaining unit. Union and district leaders remain gridlocked over a district policy that lays out the process for the district to recognize a union.

Tensions have continued building with no progress in restarting negotiations. The Sheridan Educators Association is threatening to recall the district’s four school board members while state lawmakers are crafting legislation that would consolidate Sheridan School District with another district, possibly Denver Public Schools.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

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The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance announced new guidelines for insurance carriers when using aerial imagery, including drone photography, when inspecting consumers’ properties.

While aerial imagery can provide benefits when used appropriately, such as evaluating property after severe weather, its misuse can result in inaccuracies and confusion. For example, aerial imagery can be misused if an insurer relies solely upon aerial images that are vague, outdated, show an inaccurate structure or property, or do not clearly show the current state of damage or disrepair.

Accordingly, TDCI is reminding insurers to always use due diligence when utilizing aerial imagery in order to ensure that action taken is based on accurate, current information.

“Our team is aware of incidents in other states where homeowners’ insurance policies were not renewed or cancelled as a result of the use of aerial photography,” said TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence. “While this has not occurred to the best of our knowledge in Tennessee, insurers must be mindful that aerial imagery has its limitations and should not be the only information utilized in the decision-making process. I encourage insurers and consumers to contact our team with their questions about the use of aerial photography when providing insurance coverage.”

To file a consumer insurance complaint, visit our website or contact us at 1-800-342-4029 or 615-741-2218.

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Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced today that the California Department of Insurance has submitted its Intervenor and Administrative Hearing Bureau Fairness and Accountability rulemaking package to the Office of Administrative Law for final review — marking the most significant modernization of the intervenor system since Proposition 103 was enacted in 1988.

The reforms strengthen transparency, improve efficiency, and protect consumer dollars in the insurance rate review process. Once approved by OAL, the regulations will establish clear standards for intervenor compensation, expand public reporting, and reinforce the Department’s authority to ensure that every dollar in the rate review process serves the public interest.

“These reforms strengthen Proposition 103 by bringing long‑overdue transparency and accountability to every part of the rate review process,” said Lara. “Californians deserve to know that every dollar in this system is protected, and I will not allow any organization — insurer or intervenor — to operate without clear guardrails.”

Key provisions of the regulations include

Clarifying “substantial contribution” and reasonableness standards for an intervenor’s request for compensation.

Defining the role of the Department’s Administrative Hearing Bureau (AHB) in settlement agreements and requests for compensation.

Requiring regular status updates from AHB Administrative Law Judges every 30 days to all parties.

Expanding public reporting by posting intervenor activity and statistics on the Department’s website

Improving public access to proceedings through required posting of AHB calendars, dockets, and documents.

The reforms follow months of public engagement, including a 45‑day comment period, written and oral testimony, and a subsequent 15‑day comment period on targeted revisions. Input from consumer advocates, insurers, legal experts, and members of the public informed the final proposal.

Several organizations representing homeowners, farmers, builders, and small businesses expressed strong support, calling the reforms, “a crucial step toward restoring balance, reducing unjustified delays, improving transparency, and protecting access to coverage.”

Lara also addressed mischaracterizations raised by opponents during the rule-making process.

“Some groups have misrepresented these reforms as limiting consumer voices. That is simply false,” Lara said. “The right to intervene remains untouched. What changes is the expectation that compensation must be earned, documented, and aligned with the issues in the proceeding.”

The Department’s record underscores the importance of rigorous oversight. From 2019 to 2025, the Department’s expert review saved Californians $6.6 billion in premiums and secured $3.3 billion in refunds for drivers during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

“Accountability is not optional,” Lara added. “Transparency is not an attack. It is the foundation of public trust and these reforms ensure that every part of the system is accountable to the Californians it serves.”

The reforms are a central component of Commissioner Lara’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy, the most comprehensive overhaul of California’s insurance regulations in more than 35 years, aimed at stabilizing the market, expanding coverage options, and building a modern, resilient insurance system.

OAL has up to 30 working days to complete its review. Once approved, the regulations will be filed with the Secretary of State and take effect shortly thereafter.

About the California Department of Insurance

Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation’s largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud.

Consumers are urged to call (800) 927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.govvia webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at (800) 927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial (800) 482-4833.

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When congressional Republicans allowed pandemic-era enhanced health insurance subsidies to expire at the end of last year, Georgia Democrats and at least one notable Republican warned that a spike in premiums for Affordable Care Act plans would cause many Georgians to lose their coverage.

New data obtained this week from the Current GA and the Georgia Recorder shows the losses are worse than expected. More than a half million Georgians have dropped their health insurance coverage, representing a 37% enrollment decline from January 2025 to April 17.

Georgia Democrats blasted their colleagues across the aisle anew for letting the subsidies expire while Republicans interviewed for this story largely sidestepped questions about the enrollment drop.

“Today’s reporting confirms what we’ve long feared: when the folks in power in Washington put billionaires above everyday people, Georgians pay the price,” U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, said in a statement Tuesday. “Thousands of Georgians who would otherwise have health care coverage will go bankrupt from treatable illnesses or avoid getting care until it’s too late.”

Initial data released in January showed a sizable enrollment decline of about 190,000 people. But the new numbers released this week have been adjusted to reflect those who were automatically reenrolled early this year but failed to make their first premium payments.

There is no data currently available to show how many of these people may have gained health care coverage another way, such as through a new job, but experts say it’s likely large numbers of them had no better options, according to the Current GA.

The new enrollment numbers were released as campaigning intensifies for Georgia’s May 19 primary elections, when voters will choose nominees for governor and down-ballot races for other state leaders who have a hand in shaping health care policy in Georgia. Early voting starts Monday.

Republican candidates for governor largely skirted questions about the decrease when talking to reporters at a candidate forum in Atlanta Tuesday, instead proposing ways Georgia could better address access to health care without federal programs.

“What I do know is that a big government solution will not work for health care. If it did – look at Obamacare. It’s a mess, and it really doesn’t work,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican candidate for governor.

Democrats largely cast blame for the loss in coverage on Republicans.

Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who served as a Republican but is now running for governor as a Democrat, called the enrollment losses a “crisis” that is being ignored by both federal and state officials.

“I didn’t see any bills come out of the Legislature that were improving those half million people,” Duncan said before taking the opportunity to pitch Medicaid expansion as a potential solution, saying that “we should never send somebody to the emergency room without health insurance.”

Former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond, also a Democratic candidate for governor, said he was surprised by the new enrollment numbers but said that providing more coverage to the uninsured is “not a Democratic thing (or) a Republican thing. It’s just the right thing to do for Georgia.”

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Courtesy of Georgia Recorder

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Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed several health-related bills during the veto recess, but the Kentucky General Assembly overrode them during the last two days of the 2026 legislative session.

Here’s a final roundup of new health bills:

Kentucky Medicaid Reform Act – House Bill 2, sponsored by Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, would align Kentucky’s Medicaid program with the One Big Beautiful Act that Congress passed last year. The bill only impacts those who are part of the Medicaid expansion population. Among many provisions, the bill would implement federal community engagement requirements for certain able-bodied adults. Other sections of the bill address cost-sharing, eligibility reviews, non-emergency transportation services, accountability for managed care organizations and delivery of dental services. Lawmakers amended the final version of the bill to better align with the federal implementation timelines. Line items were vetoed by Beshear on April 13. The veto was overridden and sent to the Secretary of State on April 14.

Obesity drugs and Medicaid – SB 65, sponsored by Sen. Stephen West, R-Paris, nullifies several administrative regulations deemed deficient by the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee, including a proposed Medicaid rule that would expand coverage for certain weight-loss medication — intended to treat diabetes — at the taxpayer’s expense. Beshear vetoed the bill on April 6. The veto was overridden and delivered to the Secretary of State on April 14.

Ibogaine research – SB 77, sponsored by Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville, would create an ibogaine research and intellectual property fund to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. It would allow the department to partner with a drug developer to conduct clinical trials on using ibogaine to treat substance use disorders and other neurological and mental health conditions. Beshear vetoed the bill on April 13. The veto was overridden and delivered to the Secretary of State on April 14.

Medicaid oversight – SB 173, sponsored by President Pro Tempore David Givens, R-Greensburg, would create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to define terms and establish an annual Medicaid state plan and Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program state plan legislative review process. Beshear vetoed SB 173 on April 6, calling it a “legislative power grab” in his veto letter. The veto was overridden and delivered to the Secretary of State on April 14.

The health-related bills that were delivered to the governor’s desk before the veto recess that started on April 2 were either signed into law or allowed to pass without the governor’s signature.

Two health-related resolutions were passed during the last two days of the session. Here are some of those bills that have become law, along with the two resolutions:

Pharmacy care access – HB3, sponsored by Rep. Amy Neighbors, R-Edmonton, would require the state’s Medicaid program to reimburse pharmacists for providing the routine, preventative and chronic-care services they already deliver. This bill became law with the governor’s signature on April 13.

Prior authorization – HB 176, sponsored by Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, would streamline the prior authorization process for health insurance claims by creating exceptions for certain health care providers. This bill became law with the governor’s signature on April 13.

Veterans’ post-traumatic stress disorder – HB 369, sponsored by Rep. Scott Sharp, R-Ashland, would create provisions in state law that make veterans eligible to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in response to post-traumatic stress disorder. Beshear signed the bill into law on April 13.

Health care workforce licensure – HB 459, sponsored by Moser, would require the collection of health care workforce participation data by health care licensing authorities and create a license portability framework for out-of-state marriage and family therapists seeking to practice in Kentucky.

Health data – HB 676, sponsored by Raymer, would require the Legislative Research Commission to conduct a study on the development of a Kentucky statewide health data utility; provide authority to the commission in carrying out the study; and require a written report to be submitted to the commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services by Dec. 1. This bill became law with govenor’s signature on April 14.

Medicaid state-directed payment program – HB 689, sponsored by Neighbors, would provide the statutory authority for Kentucky to implement a Medicaid state-directed payment program for physician and non-physician professional services provided through qualifying hospital-affiliated groups, pending federal approval. Medicaid state-directed payment programs are designed to enhance Medicaid reimbursement, helping support providers and strengthen access to care for Medicaid patients. This bill became law with the governor’s signature on April 13.

Kentucky’s dental practice act – HB 776, sponsored by Rep. Derek Lewis, R-London, has a goal to modernize Kentucky’s Dental Practice Act by reflecting current standards of care, strengthening patient safety and supporting the next generation of dental professionals. This bill became law with the governor’s signature on April 13.

Behavioral Health Conditional Dismissal Program pilot – SB 90, sponsored by Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, would extend this pilot project until Jan. 1, 2031. The pilot program began in 2023. It provides an alternative to incarceration by allowing eligible defendants to receive treatment for substance use and/or behavioral health disorders. Among other things, the bill would limit the number of participating counties and extend several of the existing reporting requirements. This bill became law with the governor’s signature on April 13.

Medicaid pilot – Senate Concurrent Resolution 9, sponsored by Meredith, calls for a study of accountable care models used for Medicaid programs in other states. The study also would look at opportunities to implement such a model in Kentucky through a pilot program. This resolution was signed by Beshear on April 13.

Food is Medicine, Senate Joint Resolution 23, sponsored by Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, declares Kentucky as a “Food is Medicine” state and directs state agencies to advance Food is Medicine initiatives. This resolution was signed by the governor on April 13.

Substance use disorder program and funding map – SJR 74, sponsored by Storm, would direct the Legislative Research Commission and state agencies to collaborate to create a statewide fiscal map of substance use disorder programs and funding sources. It was delivered to the governor on April 15.

Physician shortage – SJR 116, sponsored by Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, would direct the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Eastern Kentucky University to work together to alleviate physician shortages in underserved areas of the state. This resolution was signed by Beshear on April 17.

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2026 APR 22 (NewsRx) — By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News — According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a trademark application has been made for “ADVANTEDGE ANALYTICS” by CHRISTOPHER J. HUSSIN BOARDMAN & CLARK LLP, representing CMFG Life Insurance Company. This application was made available to the public on April 04, 2026.

The serial number for this application is 88080903.

The international trademark goods and services class codes for this trademark application are 035, 036, 041 and 042. The applicant indicates that “The color(s) blue and black is/are claimed as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of the stylized wording ‘ADVANTEDGE ANALYTICS’ placed above a solid horizontal line. The wording ‘ADVANTEDGE’ is in black. The wording ‘ANALYTICS’ and the solid horizontal line are in blue.”

As submitted by the applicant, this trademark application relates to the following goods and services:

• Providing group coaching, in-person learning forums, workshops and seminars in the financial services industry to financial service providers in the field of data analytics;

• Software as a service (SaaS) provider featuring software in the field of the financial services industry for financial data integration, extraction, ingestion, management, governance and warehousing; software as a service (SaaS) services featuring software for use in data integration, data transformation, data quality management, big data and data analytics, data management, and data governance, and technical software consulting related thereto; providing temporary use of non-downloadable cloud-based software for use in data integration, data transformation, data quality management, big data and data analytics, data management, and data governance, and technical software consulting related thereto; data warehousing; computer modeling and data modeling in the nature of the design of computer databases; data mining, namely, data conversion of electronic information, data normalization in the nature of modification and reconstruction of database systems for others, data integration in the nature of integration of computer databases for others, data modeling in the nature of the design of computer databases, predictive computer modeling and IT reporting on the performance and functioning of websites of others; data automation and collection service using proprietary software to evaluate, analyze and collect service data; electronic data storage; design of information graphics and data visualization materials being multidisciplinary visual design services; consulting, configuring and customization of software for financial data integration, reporting, analytics, and business intelligence; data mining in the field of consumer financial behavior for the financial services industry; all of the foregoing services directed towards the financial services industry;

• Business information and advisory services for the financial services industry, namely, providing data analysis, reporting, strategy and consulting services, and business research and data analysis services; collecting, compiling and analyzing business data and information; systematization of data in computer databases; marketing and promotion services; developing, coordinating and executing marketing and promotional campaigns in the financial services industry; consumer strategy business consulting in the fields of marketing, sales, operation, and product design particularly specializing in the use of analytic models for the understanding and predicting of consumer, business, and market trends and actions; business management consulting with relation to strategy, marketing, sales, operation, and product design, particularly specializing in the use of analytic and statistic models for the understanding and predicting of consumers, businesses, and market trends and actions; business consultation services in the field of company, business sector and industry data and research; business advice on the analysis of consumer behavior and needs provided with the help of sensory, quality and quantity-related data; providing business intelligence services in the financial services industry; market and competitive intelligence services; providing demand creation and lead generation activities and services, all of the foregoing services directed towards the financial services industry;

• Financial analysis services in the field of consumer financial behavior for the financial services industry; financial analysis, namely, compiling and analyzing statistics, data and other sources of information for the financial services industry.

The registrar information for this application is: CHRISTOPHER J. HUSSIN BOARDMAN & CLARK LLP, 1 S Pinckney St Ste 410, Madison, WI 53703, United States.

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