Update: What We’re Watching, Oct. 10, 2025

• Home
• Articles

Update: What We're Watching, Oct. 10, 2025

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing

Hill to the Heartland: Federal Health Policy Briefing is a product series providing regular updates on federal health policy discussions. Sign up here to receive these summaries and more, and also follow KHI on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The federal government shutdown has created uncertainty for several health and nutrition programs. Kansas is working on its application for a share of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program. Here is some of the health-related news we are watching that could have an impact on Kansas.

The views expressed in the following news stories, news releases or documents are not necessarily those of the Kansas Health Institute (KHI). They are being shared with the intent of keeping Kansans informed of the latest developments related to federal health policy.

1. Government Shutdown Impacts Health Programs

The federal government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, has led to contingency plans being implemented across key agencies, leading to furloughs and uncertainty for federally funded health and social service programs. While core services such as Medicare and Medicaid continue, other public health and community support functions are being curtailed or delayed. Reports indicate:

• Federal Health Agencies: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has furloughed about 41 percent of its workforce, limiting operations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, including some disease surveillance, research oversight and communications functions. This also includes about half of the employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• Nutrition Assistance: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is operating on short-term contingency funds. In Kansas, WIC operates on a reimbursement basis, which should allow WIC payments to continue through the end of October. Some counties in Kansas have reported they may soon close their WIC offices, as the contingency funds do not cover staff salaries. The Trump Administration announced it would temporarily fund WIC through tariff funds, but food policy experts report details of how that will work remain unclear.
• Community Health Centers: Mandatory federal funding for community health centers expired Sept. 30. More than 20 health clinics in Kansas have reported preparing for potential service interruptions or staffing impacts due to delayed federal funding if the shutdown continues into November.
• Child Care and Education: Federal funding for the Child Care and Development Fund is expected to continue, and while most Head Start grantees remain unaffected, those scheduled to receive new awards on Oct. 1 may face delays.
• Medicare Flexibilities: Pandemic-era Medicare telehealth and acute care Hospital at Home programs expired on Sept. 30, ending temporary flexibilities that allowed care delivery outside traditional settings.
• ACA Marketplace Health Insurance: Congressional Democrats have stated they are unwilling to approve a temporary spending bill to end the shutdown unless Republicans agree to extend enhanced premium tax credits for the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace and reverse cuts to Medicaid made in H.R. 1. But Republicans have stated they are unwilling to discuss continuation of the tax credits until the shutdown ends. Governor Laura Kelly expressed concern that loss of the enhanced tax credits will result in increased costs for Kansans who purchase coverage on the marketplace and loss of coverage for those who cannot afford to pay the higher premiums.
• Local Economic and Social Services: In the Kansas City area, tens of thousands of federal employees are facing delayed paychecks, and agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, are operating with reduced capacity.
• Agriculture: Kansas farmers also may face delayed payments from federal programs. Forty-nine percent of the employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been furloughed, including those who process grants and loans and produce statistical reports that farmers rely on during harvest season.

Read more from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): Federal Government Shutdown Update: Contingency Plans Released

Read more from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): Federal Government Shutdown: What It Means for States and Programs

Read more from Reuters: US government shutdown: Who is still working and who has been furloughed?

Read more from Politico: States left in the dark on food aid despite Trump's promise of tariff funds

Read more from 12News: Public health leaders: WIC is safe for now in Kansas amid national warning about 'crisis point'

Read more from WIBW: Over 20 Kansas health clinics brace for impact of government shutdown

Read more from the Kansas Reflector: Kansas governor says health care cuts will have 'disastrous effects' if Congress can't reach deal

Read more from KCUR NPR: Kansas City hit by government shutdown, closing Truman Library and dozens of federal agencies

2. Kansas Prepares Application for Federal Rural Health Transformation Program

Governor Laura Kelly announced on Oct. 3 the process Kansas is using to develop its application for a share of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). To support the process, the Governor established the Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance (KRHIA), a 14-member group of stakeholders that will provide feedback to support application development.

Read the press release: Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance Appointments

Learn more about the RHTP: Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program

3. CDC Leadership Calls for Review and Separation of Childhood Vaccines

Acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Jim O'Neill called on vaccine manufacturers to separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three individual shots. The proposal would reverse decades of vaccine policy and require new product development and approval. Medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, cautioned that separating the vaccines could delay immunization, raise costs and increase logistical burdens for providers. The proposal coincides with the CDC's creation of a new working group, not subject to federal open meeting requirements, under its restructured Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to review the safety, timing and composition of childhood vaccines. The next ACIP meeting, which was scheduled for Oct. 22‒23, has been postponed, with no new date announced.

Read the announcement: Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill post on X

Read more from The Hill: Acting CDC director endorses Trump's call to split up MMR vaccine

Read more about the workgroup: ACIP, CDC Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule Workgroup

Stay tuned for further updates on policy shifts that may affect health programs and services in Kansas. For related work on how federal policies could impact Kansans, please check out Hill to the Heartland.

Funding for Hill to the Heartland is provided in part by the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, a Topeka-based philanthropic organization with the mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans. KHI retains editorial independence in the production of its content and its findings. Any views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sunflower Foundation.