2026 Medicaid Summit
Tuesday June 9, 2026 – Massachusetts State House
- Attending in-person: Massachusetts legislators, staff, and executive branch officials
- Attending virtually: Out-of-state legislators, staff, and executive branch officials
The Medicaid Summit is co-hosted by The Council of State Governments, the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, and CSG East. The lead sponsors of this summit are the co-chairs of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, Representative Jay Livingstone and Senator Robyn Kennedy, and the co-chairs of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, Representative John Lawn and Senator Cindy Friedman. Massachusetts Senator Paul Mark is a co-sponsor and organizer of the summit.
The summit will be Tuesday, June 9 at the Massachusetts State House or online via Zoom beginning at 10:00 a.m. and concluding at 4:00 p.m. In-person space is limited; morning refreshments and limited lunch will be provided for in-person participants.
The future of Medicaid is undergoing a major transformation, with significant changes resulting from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) enacted in July 2025. These reforms, taking effect between 2026 and 2028, constitute the largest overhaul in the program’s history, focusing on restricting growth, implementing work requirements, and reducing federal spending by nearly a trillion dollars over a decade.
Panel #1: Medicaid-funded Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) and the Direct Care Workforce
11:00 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.
Description: Medicaid is more than a health insurance program – it is the largest provider of long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the United States. Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are a form of LTSS that enable people to live and engage in their communities, rather than institutional settings. The direct care workforce is essential to the delivery of HCBS. However, our current workforce is unable to meet current demand, let alone the growing need driven by an aging population and more people with disabilities living in the community.
Facilitator/Timekeeper: Nicole LeBlanc, HSRI Coordinator of the Person-Centered Advisory and Leadership Group (PAL-Group) for the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS)
Panelists:
- Joe Caldwell, Ph.D., Senior Scientist II and Director of the Community Living Policy Center within the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University
- Alixe Bonardi, MHA, OTR Vice President, Human Services Research Associate Professor, UMass Chan Medical School
- Dorothy Hiersteiner, MPP: Human Services Research Institute (HSRI), Co-Director National Core Indicators
5 minute intro / 40 mins presentations / 10 min questions
Panel #2: Implementation of H.R.1 and New Work Requirements
12:00 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.
Description: Signed into law on July 4th, 2025, H.R.1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) cuts federal Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over the next ten years. In addition, states must implement new work requirements and more frequent redeterminations for Medicaid beneficiaries. This poses a challenge for state governments and threatens the established rights of people with disabilities to live and receive services in the most integrated community setting possible.
Facilitator/Timekeeper: Nicole LeBlanc, HSRI Coordinator of the Person-Centered Advisory and Leadership Group (PAL-Group) for the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS)
Panelists:
- Gelila Selassie, Director Health Advocacy at Justice in Aging
- Elizabeth LaMontagne, Chief Operating Officer, MassHealth, Executive Office of Health & Human Services
5 minute intro / 40 mins presentations / 10 min questions
Panel #3: H.R. 1 and State Budget Decision-Making
1:30 p.m. – 2:25 p.m.
The impending Medicaid cuts from H.R.1 will significantly impact state budgets. The legislation has already prompted states to consider tax code changes and make difficult choices on which Medicaid programs to retain and which they can no longer afford. This panel will highlight state budgetary impacts in 2026 and beyond.
Facilitator/Timekeeper: Sean Slone, Public Policy Manager, The Council of State Governments
Panelists:
- Wesley Tharpe, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
- Andrew Badaracco, MPA, Senior Healthcare Policy Consultant, Milliman
5 minute intro / 40 mins presentations / 10 min questions
Panel #4: Rural Health Transformation
2:30 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.
Description: H.R. 1 included the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, a major five-year initiative (2026-2030) aiming to revitalize rural healthcare delivery. It offers states, tribes, and territories funding for infrastructure, technology, and operational shifts to improve care access, while simultaneously navigating strict Medicaid reforms and reduced federal funding. But even as states work to quickly implement the initiatives they proposed in order to gain access to RHT funds, concerns remain about the limitations states must navigate and whether the program can insulate rural health facilities from the challenges they have faced in recent years and the Medicaid cuts H.R. 1 will bring over the course of the next decade.
Facilitator/Timekeeper: Sean Slone, Public Policy Manager, The Council of State Governments
Panelists:
- Cody Mullen, PhD,, Clinical Professor, Purdue University
- Eliza Lake, MSW, Director of Health Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Project Director, Executive Office of Health and Human Services
- Andrew Badaracco, MPA, Senior Healthcare Policy Consultant, Milliman
5 minute intro / 40 mins presentations / 10 min questions
