U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Michael Cabell is appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the USDA Rural Development State Director for the state of Pennsylvania. Director Cabell will implement President Trump’s America First agenda at USDA Rural Development, ensuring the needs of America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers remain a top priority.

“When America’s farming communities prosper, the entire nation thrives. This new group of USDA appointees will ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is a reality in rural areas across the country. I am grateful for the leadership of these new state directors and look forward to their work reorienting the agency to put Farmers First again,” said Secretary Rollins.

“I’m honored by the trust President Trump and Secretary Rollins have placed in me to lead USDA Rural Development in Pennsylvania,” said Cabell. “Our mission is simple but critical: to strengthen the backbone of America by investing in rural communities. Whether it’s expanding access to reliable infrastructure, supporting farmers and small businesses or improving quality of life, I will work relentlessly to ensure that the America First agenda delivers real results for the people who feed, build, and power this country.”

Michael Cabell brings a strong record of public service and private sector leadership to his role as State Director. He previously served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he worked on issues impacting infrastructure, economic growth, and education in rural communities. Before his legislative service, Michael co-founded a multi-site behavioral healthcare company that serves communities across Pennsylvania.

State Directors serve as the Chief Executive Officer of USDA Rural Development in the states and territories and are tasked with leading teams to carry out the mission of Rural Development to the benefit of all rural Americans. In conjunction with the guidance and support of the National Office, State Directors are responsible for advancing the key priorities and initiatives of the Presidential Administration, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development. State Directors also provide key leadership to foster a mission-driven, accountable, and high-performing workforce focused on operational excellence, public trust, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.

To learn more about USDA Rural Development’s leadership and programs, view www.rd.usda.gov. For general inquiries, email RD.PA.General.Inquiries@usda.gov.

Work requirements are the big Medicaid change that people so far find most politically palatable, with a majority of adults supporting them, writes Axios’ Maya Goldman. Safety net programs like Medicaid are supposed to catch vulnerable Americans and keep them from falling further into poverty.

Source: Axios

Primary care could and should be at the center of any plan to Make America Healthy Again, said public health experts who shared their reactions to public testimony of the nation’s health leader. Primary care is vital for better health outcomes and cost reduction, yet the U.S. has not fully embraced it. Proposed budget cuts to Medicaid and primary care could reduce access, especially in rural areas, affecting public health.

Source: Medical Economics

New data from 20 state-based marketplaces (SBM) shows more than 7 million enrollees nationally for the 2025 Enrollment Period. Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Health Insurance Exchange, is included in those record-breaking enrollment numbers with nearly 500,000 enrollees. This increase is attributed to additional flexibilities in eligibility and lower costs from federal Enhanced Premium Tax Credits offered in 2021. SBMs consistently report affordability as the top concern prohibiting access to coverage going forward.

To maintain the gains in enrollment and coverage and keep premiums low, Congress must extend these Enhanced Premium Tax Credits before they expire at the end of 2025. If not, the amount Pennsylvanians pay would increase by 82% on average, with many paying double, triple, or quadruple as much per month.

The Pennsylvania House passed House Bill 79 to prevent medical debt with a bipartisan margin (187-16). More than 1 million adults reported having debt associated with medical bills in collections, using a credit card to pay their medical bills or having made arrangements to pay using a payment plan.

HB 79’s co-prime sponsor Rep Arvind Venkat (D- Allegheny) introduced legislation with state Reps. Nate Davidson, Bridget M. Kosierowski, Andrew Kuzma, Jim Rigby Tim Twardzik, and State Representative Tarik Khan who is also a Nurse Practitioner practicing one day a week at Family Practice and Counseling Network in Philadelphia. “As a nurse practitioner, I’ve seen how crushing medical debt is for patients,” said Khan, D-Phila. “Our bill would help ensure people are aware of the financial assistance they’re eligible for while hospitalized, to help save them from going into medical debt in the first place.”

The bill would mandate the development of standardized, plain-language hospital financial aid forms, which would be shared with patients on intake and discharge, displayed on billing paperwork and posted publicly on hospital and state health websites.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an updated MLN Booklet on Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring. Changes include CMS extending some telehealth flexibilities through September 30, 2025, for non-behavioral and non-mental telehealth services.

Click here to access the booklet.

The GOP-led House committee in charge of cutting healthcare spending to finance a sweeping tax cuts bill advanced its portion of the measure Wednesday, overcoming Democratic objections during a daylong session. The Energy and Commerce Committee provisions, which are estimated to reduce Medicaid spending by $625 billion over 10 years, cleared on a party-line vote. They will be combined with policies working through other committees into final legislation House Republican leaders hope to pass by the end of the month. The greatest savings come from implementing work requirements and stricter eligibility checks in Medicaid, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would save about $350 billion. The measure saves another $167 billion by delaying a 2024 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulation that made it easier for people to enroll in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to the nonpartisan budget agency. This is the first step in a long process to achieve a final budget bill. Click here to learn more.