Category: Uncategorized

The task force continued examining the factors driving Wyoming’s high health care and insurance costs, with particular attention to the challenges created by the state’s rural geography, small patient volumes, limited provider competition, and workforce shortages. Health care costs and data: Hospital representatives emphasized the administrative burden associated with prior authorizations and claim denials. There […]

Following the close of the RHTF application and review process, WDH presented its award recommendations to the Rural Health Transformation Advisory Committee on August 11, 2026. WDH first reviewed applications for eligibility, including required partnerships, cash match, entity type, regionalization, duplication, and submission deadlines. Eligible applications were then competitively scored based on alignment with the […]

The Wyoming Legislature created a Health Insurance Affordability Task Force to examine one of the most pressing challenges facing patients, employers, physicians, and communities across the state: the rising cost of health insurance. The task force was formed during the 2026 interim to study why health insurance premiums remain difficult to afford for many Wyoming […]

During its May 14–15 meeting in Casper, the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Interim Committee addressed the critical challenges currently impacting the state’s health care landscape, including physician workforce shortages, maternity care deserts, rural hospital sustainability, and pharmacy scope of practice. Lawmakers also examined potential liability reforms and legislative proposals to improve […]

The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program was authorized by the One Big Beautiful Act in the summer of 2025. Following this, every state submitted an application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) detailing its vision for using the funds. Wyoming’s plan, submitted on November 5th, 2025, focused on several key priorities: Chronic […]

WMS Vice President Tracey Haas, DO, MPH, FAAFP – As a Wyoming family physician, I’ve long been curious about how health policy is shaped—and how it connects to the clinical decisions we make every day. For many of us, the legislative process—and the idea that a single person can influence it—can feel abstract or distant. […]

1. Rule Overview & Effective Date Finalized July 31, 2025, incorporated into CMS’s FY 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule — effective October 1, 2025 . Issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC/ASTP) to update health IT certification criteria and advance interoperability in e-prescribing, benefits transparency, and prior authorization . […]

In July, the White House introduced America’s AI Action Plan, unveiling 90+ federal initiatives aimed at modernizing AI use across sectors, including healthcare, via innovation, infrastructure, and international leadership. Key healthcare strategies include piloting AI diagnostics and operational tools, funding realistic clinical simulations, establishing data-sharing platforms, setting performance benchmarks, and advancing workforce training and cyber-resilience. […]

Cheyenne, WY, August 18, 2025 – The Wyoming Medical Society (WMS) is proud to launch the Your Care is At Our Core Campaign in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) to strengthen the bond between patients and their physicians, the foundation of health care. Over the past few years, physicians have faced growing challenges […]

The final passage and presidential signing of House Resolution 1 (the “One Big Beautiful Bill”) received a lot of attention and has drawn a wide range of opinions. The 870-page bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation with a wide range of provisions. With more than 100,000 Wyomingites covered by Medicare, it’s important that WMS […]