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Alabama Medicaid to request $1.184 billion for 2026 • Alabama Reflector

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alabamareflector.com – Anna Barrett – 2025-02-07 07:01:00

Alabama Medicaid to request $1.184 billion for 2026

by Anna Barrett, Alabama Reflector
February 7, 2025

The Alabama Medicaid Agency will request $1.184 billion from the state for FY 2026, about $229 million more than its budget this year. 

“Most of it is related to health care inflation cost,” Alabama Medicaid Commissioner Stephanie Azar told legislators Thursday afternoon. “We have to build that in to make sure that we can pay our providers for what comes along.” 

The request was not a surprise but represents something of a landmark for Alabama Medicaid, a cornerstone of the state’s health care sector. 

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Despite strict eligibility requirements that mostly limit the program to children, the elderly and those with disabilities, Medicaid provides health care coverage for about 20% of the state; pays for more than half the births in Alabama and is critical to keeping hospitals, nursing homes and medical practices open. 

Azar said that the increase in her request is technically $53 million, but it appears to be $229 million because of the federal aid the state received during the COVID-19 pandemic, aid that is no longer coming to the state. 

“It looks like the growth of the program is a lot more than it was, because we’ve had federal COVID dollars that has made the Legislature be able to appropriate us less,” she said. “And this year, that’s really moving away.”

Since last June, Alabama Medicaid enrollment has dropped by nearly 300,000 to 1.081 million, according to Azar’s presentation. This is nearly back to its pre-COVID enrollment at 1.054 million.

“I’ve always been an advocate for the people in this state that have needs. But there are some that have taken advantage of the system,” Rep. Chris Blacksher, R-Smiths Station, said. “That’s not fair to the people who truly need it.”

Medicaid makes up the largest single allocation in the Alabama General Fund budget, which pays for most noneducation state programs. But the state share is only a fraction of the total cost of the program. The federal government is expected to pay about 73% of the program’s costs next year. Azar estimates that Medicaid will receive over $7 billion from the federal government.

“I’m optimistic that I will be appropriated for my 2026 budget,” she said. “As long as we follow federal requirements, which is our full intention, we should draw our matching dollars for that state share.”

House General Fund Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Rex Reynolds, R-Hazel Green, said the committee will try its best to grant Medicaid its requested budget.

“We certainly hope we can. We know that if we don’t, it impacts our hospitals, impacts our nursing homes and impacts our providers,” he said. “We really got to find a way to make that happen.”

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Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Brian Lyman for questions: info@alabamareflector.com.

The post Alabama Medicaid to request $1.184 billion for 2026 • Alabama Reflector appeared first on alabamareflector.com

News from the South - Alabama News Feed

A very dry September forecast with hot afternoons ahead for Alabama.

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www.youtube.com – WVTM 13 News – 2025-09-14 06:30:35

SUMMARY: Alabama faces a very dry September with hot afternoons continuing through the last week of summer before the autumnal equinox. Sunday begins comfortably cool in the 60s, warming to low 90s by mid-afternoon under mostly sunny skies. A weak wave may bring a few showers tonight, mainly to northwest Alabama, but widespread rain is unlikely. Temperatures will remain above average, hitting mid-90s Tuesday and Wednesday. By next weekend, a trough and front may increase cloud cover and rain chances slightly, potentially lowering temperatures closer to average. Overall, the forecast calls for persistent dry and warm conditions into next week.

A very dry September forecast with hot afternoons ahead for Alabama.

WVTM13 is your home for Alabama breaking news and weather. For your latest Alabama news and weather visit: https://www.wvtm13.com/

For licensing inquiries: https://www.wvtm13.com/licensing

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News from the South - Alabama News Feed

Huntsville Fire & Rescue Holds 9/11 Memorial Service | Sept. 11, 2025 | News 19 at 5 p.m.

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www.youtube.com – WHNT News 19 – 2025-09-11 17:29:41

SUMMARY: On September 11, 2025, Huntsville Fire & Rescue held a memorial service to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Military members and first responders gathered at Huntsville Fire Station One, where at 7:46 a.m., lights, sirens, and air horns sounded to replicate the sounds heard during the attacks. Fire Chief Howard McFarland emphasized the importance of remembering the tragedy to educate younger generations and prevent history from repeating. Former Captain Lynn recalled the shock of witnessing the attacks and noted how 9/11 reshaped emergency preparedness. This annual event is held across all 20 Huntsville fire stations.

The Huntsville Fire & Rescue held a 9/11 memorial service.

News 19 is North Alabama’s News Leader! We are the CBS affiliate in North Alabama and the Tennessee Valley since November 28, 1963.

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News 5 NOW at 8:00am | September 11, 2025

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www.youtube.com – WKRG – 2025-09-11 08:31:10

SUMMARY: On September 11, 2025, News 5 NOW covered 9/11 commemorations, including first responders climbing 2,000 steps at Hancock Whitney Stadium to honor the World Trade Center’s 110 stories. The Original Oyster House offered free meals to first responders in Mobile and Baldwin counties. The program also reported a new Vibrio bacterial infection case in Escambia County, highlighting health warnings for beachgoers. Additionally, they discussed a study linking chronic insomnia to increased dementia risk, election recounts in Gulf Shores, and a recent political shooting in Utah, sparking debate over harsher punishments for political violence. Viewer opinions on extraterrestrials and political violence were shared in an interactive social media segment.

First Responders in Mobile honored the heroes of September 11th, a Pensacola woman is in the hospital after being infected with the flesh eating bacteria vibrio vulnificus, and a vote re-count wrapped up in Gulf Shores…

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