[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6190285,"mediaKeyId","5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d","parentId",5051687,"title","Public witnesses urge state action on SNAP purchase rules and expiring marketplace premium tax credits","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5326000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d&start=5326&end=5326","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d/thumbnail_5326000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6190285/Wyoming/Public-witnesses-urge-state-action-on-SNAP-purchase-rules-and-expiring-marketplace-premium-tax-credits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190285-5eb1beb3bcb0316dbb914d5f1875da9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414540&Signature=Gr-nidseE9flaYSWOC2xr9O9KJ4tmTLBAvyD~blcJCuUECcVogEhUg4HeikdOa2uldSGPxiZnuJLPZxGbR84V5bHtTCZpO4FimWOyPkjLX~pJr--h5EGoiTSc~iVELv7p3eqavsMjwAXnKWgtttB3A-hMG9GIKjI3rDa8e3BgOec6dOMYGX5V2pV7yq6lFt96cmGlfyEejUMDvIEVSv89-yTRn9AzSez4lsr3~7VqpZEsPfR90JjvqRLFcjQgAQ0tdBhed3vn0wyt~OhEIAFQTGZOFdz2mo8DEUZ~BdyQU1v36GpeBtqRCkW2VD1ExbqSObBF74hT6p1PZKeJw9gfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-06-24T00:10:59Z","article","Several public witnesses used the committee's public‑comment period to press state officials to act on two federal policy changes that would affect food assistance and health coverage in Wyoming.

Jeff Daugherty of the Foundation for Government Accountability urged the committee to consider a state waiver to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would limit subsidized purchases of foods high in sugar and salt. Daugherty reviewed other states' progress and told the panel that three states have approved waivers (he cited Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana as approvals) and several others had pending requests. He said the state could either request a waiver from USDA or ask the governor's office to file on the state's behalf and offered his group's assistance in preparing a legislative committee bill for next session.

Public‑health advocates and consumer groups focused on the potential loss of the expanded premium tax credits created by recent federal law. Pat Sweeney and Jen Lowe of Healthy Wyoming summarized the effect: around 46,000 Wyoming residents buy plans through the federal marketplace, and roughly 44,000 of those currently receive premium tax credits that lower cost. Sweeney said those credits are set to expire at year‑end and that analysts estimate between 10,000 and 11,000 residents could lose coverage when the credits end unless Congress extends them or the state takes action to mitigate the effect. He gave an illustrative household example — a plan with a current net premium of about $6,982 could rise to an estimated $44,000 if credits lapse.

Witnesses urged the state to move quickly to evaluate waiver options for SNAP and to coordinate with the governor's office on the marketplace issue. Committee members asked about administrative burdens for retailers and the potential cost on small businesses for SNAP changes; Daugherty said many modern point‑of‑sale systems can restrict EBT purchases and that a phased approach is possible. No committee action was taken; witnesses asked staff to prepare options the committee could consider.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Committee, June 23, 2025 - PM","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters asked the committee to pursue SNAP purchase waivers to limit purchases of low‑nutrient items and warned the end of federally expanded premium tax credits could raise premiums and leave thousands uninsured in Wyoming.","taxTitle","Labor, Health & Social Services, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",29185,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190289,"Wyoming Boys and Girls schools highlight rehabilitation, family reunification and capacity pressures",918,10123000,11041000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d&start=10123&end=11041","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d/thumbnail_10123000.jpg","/articles/6190289/Wyoming/Wyoming-Boys-and-Girls-schools-highlight-rehabilitation-family-reunification-and-capacity-pressures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190289-98fa513b7b43b1f3a9ac7d1a7dd17ab0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414540&Signature=YbkqgAMLVE6imveLbVwX-31MT6vS94HdL7sNN~UCF5yok5nwuxYnky8G~TJzcruF0M0pH27C5sRc2WmPj6Ypl3m0vdRbMPCic7AzKzE0an7Vh7QHJz7Y7kkoLy3U11pkezGjglh1JJ9~ALvA-I7mRAQh1yKAY0XU2wZ3eMVnZTJoo6bArpYynALJjla09bgk9xGtTQJX3NSn2Y31nvEq7Ocd5SgZWvAhvV62qtfp3DDVJR~qNl7n7z318anYmOjRTY~k~YEpWo2LR1dGy0W5uZoaoxj1s4PJMhNoGmeQlJBVwnreMZntr1W0pvZ7JB2ETslPvV7D6NU1cDn~4jRygw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendents of the Wyoming Boys School and the Wyoming Girls School briefed the joint committees on operations, capacity and programming at the state juvenile facilities and described efforts to reduce restraints, increase off‑campus community engagement and improve discharge planning.

Dale Weber, superintendent of the Boys School, said the facility is staffed to hold 60 students though the campus has physical capacity for 75 beds; he said the average age is just over 16 and average stay is just over six months, with longer residential terms for adjudicated sexual offenders. Weber described a trauma‑responsive, relationship‑based approach and said students in recent years completed community service projects and off‑campus activities at senior centers, animal shelters and community events.

Chris Jones, superintendent of the Girls School, said the facility holds up to 65 beds but is currently staffed for about 32 operational beds; she said average age is about 16 and average stay about seven months. Jones said her facility starts discharge planning at admission and uses education, mental‑health counseling and independent‑living skills to prepare girls to return home or to successful community placements. Both superintendents emphasized family therapy partnerships with community mental‑health centers and said improved family engagement reduces recidivism.

Committee members asked about capacity, outcomes and whether the state tracks long‑term recidivism and adult incarceration for former residents. DFS staff said they have some follow‑up information for youth who remain in state systems but that confidentiality laws and data‑sharing limits make long‑term tracking difficult without additional mechanisms. The Department of Family Services told the committee it reunifies approximately 72 percent of children placed out of home and reported roughly a 5 percent re‑entry rate within 12 months.

No formal actions were taken; superintendents said they would provide additional materials if the committee seeks program or staffing changes.","Superintendents of the Wyoming Boys and Girls schools told lawmakers both facilities focus on trauma‑responsive care, community engagement and family reintegration; they also gave capacity, average‑stay and program details used to plan care and transitions to the community.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190294,"Department of Family Services outlines child‑care funding, licensing and child‑protection caseloads",7343,71000,7414000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d&start=71&end=7414","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d/thumbnail_71000.jpg","/articles/6190294/Wyoming/Department-of-Family-Services-outlines-childcare-funding-licensing-and-childprotection-caseloads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190294-a65ac9460c2fbe7282674156bbc0eb7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414540&Signature=kMWdZVTNpMC6nzlbAF3ASBone-jGAg7ecols~qOmWSp9amzO9uCJ0egllIvBJ4~FyURy5rjsYM9qItXm8C9SdwznLRDuCy5AxTJuoLrOs-4RZ0~uYiMZH5yur~7Ev42q5iI99eDQzeouulVh6YoEXiUX5-ZOpCiR1C~WrIrUfifMscN-KooCT6AnXV9ZWw65md6b10l9iLFXsOnRKrOXQNh9yT0X3BO6coaYGb8hFcl~MSAxdy8KWRrdOtqvQ3NDwDCBkFpqmAYho9k-Z4PsaH4CJWCHcK5QBHRqwIaZTWZgtp-42PfnJ-Dd1j3QWhdmzUroEVwW7-eEX~M5xUafDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Family Services officials briefed the joint committees on the state’s early‑care programs, licensing oversight and child‑protective services, emphasizing that federal grant rules and state matching requirements shape program choices and budgets.

Roxanne O'Connor, support‑services senior administrator, said Wyoming receives a Child Care and Development Block Grant of about $16 million and must provide a state match; \"If we don't meet that maintenance of effort, we will not receive the $16,000,000 in block grant,\" she told the committee. O'Connor said that more than 70 percent of the block grant is used for childcare assistance for income‑eligible families; the program supports working parents and accepts providers across the state. She described a “mixed delivery system” of family childcare homes and larger centers and said licensing staff oversee health and safety rules and background checks. O'Connor also described partnerships with the University of Wyoming on professional development and infant/toddler credentialing.

Christy Gordy, senior administrator for social services, described the department’s child‑protection, juvenile justice and adult‑protective programs and gave caseload and budget context. She said about 724 children are in out‑of‑home placement statewide; about 456 are in family‑like settings (foster or kinship care) while roughly 156 are in congregate care (group homes, residential treatment). Gordon said the department reunifies roughly 72 percent of children who enter care and reported a 5 percent re‑entry rate within 12 months. Gordy told lawmakers social services is roughly a $155 million division within a $325 million agency budget and said the majority of state general fund dollars the division spends are for out‑of‑home care.

Committee members followed with detailed questions. Senator Hutchings and others asked how the department coordinates early childhood services with other agencies; O'Connor explained the Department of Health operates developmental preschools for children with higher‑intensity developmental needs while DFS licenses childcare providers. Committee members asked about maximum sizes for family childcare homes (O'Connor said up to 10 children, 15 with a second staffer in a family childcare center) and about licensing exemptions for small family units.

Lawmakers also pressed Gordy on programs that intersect with child support and Medicaid. She provided data about a Medicaid birth‑cost‑recovery effort dating to 2018: the department reported roughly $78 million in expenditures were referred to child support since 2018; $950,000 was reduced to judgment and $708,000 collected, of which roughly half must be returned to Medicaid — leaving about $350,000 retained — while the program has cost about $500,000 to administer, creating a net shortfall in that account as of January data she reported.

DFS officials did not seek formal changes at the meeting. They asked the committee for continued funding and interagency cooperation on prevention, licensing and training so families can access stable childcare and so the department can focus spending upstream to reduce expensive out‑of‑home placements.","Agency officials told lawmakers federal childcare block grant funding, eligibility rules and provider licensing are central to early-care support; social‑services leaders also summarized child‑protection caseloads, out‑of‑home placement counts, reunification and the fiscal share devoted to foster care.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190298,"Health officials warn of 'maternal deserts'; Blue Cross to roll out maternity program with prenatal vitamins and remote monitoring",2540,3482000,6022000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d&start=3482&end=6022","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d/thumbnail_3482000.jpg","/articles/6190298/Wyoming/Health-officials-warn-of-maternal-deserts-Blue-Cross-to-roll-out-maternity-program-with-prenatal-vitamins-and-remote-monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190298-850f8493e91ec9b7ce23cdadb66466d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414540&Signature=VKHwPGk6bMsubZGVRth-afPd~58jfcoW-I2pBAuZj5P-4R49ntvE0HcpwMa1deu5MwOKP71w54X9Ip1G4RVnBpZYGZdS3vMnqC30psClQCMOOi8mZotO76vtGMXutpt8L5Qi3~rG4hmvGxk3LmHFDYpOooBYN7xYAlj~HWbgpq9SP1qYRlwHdD~GIZ2z9jU2JSIAOsBMxk69H9I9M6zo2mpQuvoF5a6f1hBmXUlsJx5nFTkuIXQtqgO0Ja91pUkWZUed1oIPI68y98310-RJYLUKbFxmp2-GVdukMXyMpmBof2Ic9DGO6E79BerKff-L61BveRDJVCx5O4hYxHeY9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State health officials told the joint committee that several Wyoming county subdivisions no longer host labor‑and‑delivery services and that closures have left new maternal health “deserts” in parts of the state. Deputy director Franz Fuchs said the department used the March of Dimes definition and its own mapping to mark communities that never had services, places that recently lost services and counties that show warning signs of service loss.

The issue matters because many rural communities have no nearby labor‑and‑delivery capacity and because Medicaid covers a significant share of births. Fuchs noted that hospital viability — staffing, low delivery volumes and tighter nursing labor markets — is the primary driver of closures. \"Labor and delivery closures are really a symptom … of a broader financial stress on the hospitals,\" he said. He also told the committee Wyoming lacks a level‑3 neonatal intensive‑care unit; Casper and Cheyenne operate level‑2 NICUs and families sometimes travel out of state for higher‑acuity care.

Private insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming described a new package of services intended to improve early prenatal engagement and support postpartum care. The company said it will open a \"Special Delivery\" program July 7 that increases reimbursement for a first‑trimester visit, ships prenatal vitamins at no cost to members, offers a vendor‑provided remote maternal monitoring system and provides 24/7 telehealth lactation support. Amy Skaswak, Blue Cross's director of population health, said the carrier will also expand postpartum screening and telehealth counseling.

Doctors and community providers who testified told the committee the state also needs to strengthen graduate medical education and family‑medicine obstetric tracks to recruit clinicians to rural Wyoming. Several speakers — including OB‑GYNs who train family practice residents — described a plan to add an OB track at the University of Wyoming family practice residency in Cheyenne. Doctor Jacques Beveridge, an OB‑GYN in Cheyenne, said the residency track should help produce clinicians willing to practice rural obstetrics.

Community providers described on‑the‑ground barriers. A Cheyenne birth‑center co‑owner said her facility struggles to obtain sustainable facility‑fee reimbursement from Medicaid and private payers; she said Wyoming's Medicaid enrollment forms did not initially include the federal taxonomy code for birth‑centers because the state had no birth‑center before. A Casper pregnancy center director and several residents urged lawmakers to preserve and expand access to comprehensive reproductive care, including telehealth and local family‑medicine capacity.

Lawmakers asked the department for county‑level maps, potential policy levers that could be taken in the coming session and cost estimates for options such as targeted Medicaid rate increases, temporary cost‑based reimbursements for critical access hospitals that maintain labor‑and‑delivery services, and graduate‑medical‑education investments. Blue Cross and the University of Wyoming representatives said they would work with the department on pilot options and on provider training.

No formal action was taken; agencies were directed to return with more detailed cost estimates and model bill text if the committee chooses to pursue legislative remedies.","State health staff told lawmakers some Wyoming counties lack local labor‑and‑delivery services; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming described a new \"Special Delivery\" maternity program offering enhanced first‑trimester payments for providers, prescription prenatal vitamins delivery, remote monitoring and 24/7 lactation support.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_46":117,"_48":118,"_50":119,"_52":120,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":121,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":122,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6190303,"Wyoming officials, advocates propose consolidated billing and targeted subsidies to shore up rural EMS",3751,3385000,7136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d&start=3385&end=7136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5051687-ebf92d05307ea7b1e6deef4d3377286d/thumbnail_3385000.jpg","/articles/6190303/Wyoming/Wyoming-officials-advocates-propose-consolidated-billing-and-targeted-subsidies-to-shore-up-rural-EMS","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190303-ebd0d1614dafae45a24f2bce75849944/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414540&Signature=D1ZUfhY7RrksP5x4vlZqCIRCFMiqhjJcjVa4tq-yC4-7x6YSGN~zJkjXXmHSa~SuQgxWNV1A4J2HQIXrb4r-6J8DMvvWaPPLKpTZGHauQCSViOdxqBlok9wjMCB2v2k2gMC3hNVgXaHY~TUCgpQJ9jiX8--LLEYpdFKLQS16uqm-6UqwYy34Im6gMcIxhx70AiLzkfBKf-4AARfXOCFbfwdjkVcZgcYPEHSQOBc1EeVbXtM9BitqtpXu7-1I6pWqV-1qZQ49vncEHuZ7Wdqt7mCzcL2x9-~exI0-K2IUWUVOwo80zWxOIEmWFbOcc9iXJwNdWSlX4-PQjjeNeAl3~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State health officials and local leaders urged the Joint Judiciary and Labor, Health & Social Services committees on Monday to pursue practical fixes — including a statewide consolidated billing contract and targeted subsidies — to address declining volunteerism and a growing gap between the fixed costs of ambulance readiness and the revenue small services can bill. \"The prioritized concepts include consolidated billing,\" Curtis Biggs of the governor's office told the committee as the report's sponsors outlined options.

The matter matters because ambulance readiness is expensive and most calls are low‑reimbursement, local patient contacts rather than high‑profile highway rescues. Department of Health deputy director Franz Fuchs told the committee there are about 78,000 EMS calls in the state each year, of which roughly 51,000 are reimbursable and about 34 percent are not billable because they do not result in a transport. He and other witnesses said that mismatch leaves a recurring subsidy gap: the report estimates roughly $67 million in reasonable annual system costs against about $37 million of billable revenue and calculates a roughly $30 million shortfall that communities and other payers now fill in a variety of ways.

Witnesses stressed two overlapping remedies. One is to pursue a centralized, opt‑in billing contractor that would convert the data ambulance providers already submit to the state into claims, submit them to payers and return collections to providers. The department says that could reduce administrative burden for small services, improve data quality and create a more competitive contract price by aggregating volume. The second is to reframe local subsidies to be more sustainable — for example, aligning ambulance services with taxed fire districts or with hospitals that can receive cost‑based reimbursement as a critical‑access provider. Fuchs summarized the problem: \"This is really the mismatch between fixed cost and variable service volume.\"

Local officials and associations backed the ideas but urged caution and local flexibility. Mayor Mara Juarez of Mills described a municipal fire/EMS that struggles with contractual restrictions and Medicare/insurer payments; she and other local leaders emphasized that some services require tax support while others might be folded into county fire districts or hospitals. AARP Wyoming presented statewide polling showing broad public support for treating EMS as an essential government service and a willingness by many residents to pay a small annual amount to shore up local coverage. The report and witnesses also noted that Medicare policy — which the state cannot change — drives much of the revenue problem because Medicare pays a fixed amount for many ambulance runs and does not reimburse many non‑transport calls.

Committee members asked for more detail on how a consolidated billing contract would work, whether the state should start with health‑department workloads to create volume and how to sequence incentives so that smaller communities do not lose control of local response. Fuchs said the department has issued requests for information and can run a pilot without statutory changes but that larger changes (for example, changing Medicaid reimbursement formulas or authorizing cost‑based ambulance reimbursement tied to hospitals) would require appropriation or legislative action.

The discussion concluded with a request from several lawmakers for follow‑up: provide county‑level maps of response time and a draft of options the committee could take up in the session, from promoting municipal or district levies to enabling local hospitals to operate ambulance services with enhanced Medicaid or state support. The department and local officials agreed to provide more granular cost, billing and service‑area data for the committee to review.

Because these were informational briefings, the committee did not adopt policy at the meeting; staff and agencies were directed to supply additional data and to return with more detailed bill concepts for legislative consideration.","State health officials and local leaders described a fractured emergency-medical-services system and recommended a mix of consolidated billing, targeted public subsidies and local partnerships with hospitals and fire departments to keep ambulances ready in low‑volume areas.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public witnesses urge state action on SNAP purchase rules and expiring marketplace premium tax credits

Wyoming Boys and Girls schools highlight rehabilitation, family reunification and capacity pressures

Department of Family Services outlines child‑care funding, licensing and child‑protection caseloads

Health officials warn of 'maternal deserts'; Blue Cross to roll out maternity program with prenatal vitamins and remote monitoring

Wyoming officials, advocates propose consolidated billing and targeted subsidies to shore up rural EMS