We held our third negotiation meeting, which was a productive continuation of last week’s discussion. The group worked to further refine the elements that must be included in 2026 legislation and to distinguish those from issues that should be addressed over the longer term, within the next 6 to 18 months. The negotiation team expects to review draft language at its next meeting.
That draft language is expected to address Continuous Quality Improvement, minimum requirements for both counties and the state, contracting mechanisms, and overall accountability.
The group also began an initial discussion regarding the potential use of a third-party facilitator and the scope of that facilitator’s role. Counties emphasized, and will continue to emphasize, the importance of meaningful county consultation in both the design of the RFP and the selection of the facilitator. This is expected to be a significant topic of negotiation next week.
To hear more details about these elements, please listen to today’s office hours call.
