Who’s Paying The Tab? The Best Of The 2026 OPEN MINDS Government Health & Human Services Executive Summit

Remember "trickle down economics"? It is the theory (paraphrased) that "good things" that happen at the top of the economic food chain will eventually "trickle down" the ladder to the working class (see Trickle Down Theory). 

I would argue that we are entering the era of ‘trickle down’ in the health and human service field. The cuts at the federal level – both in HR1 (see The Ripple Effect) and executive orders – will push more expenses to states. More people will be uninsured (see 52% Of Health Care Leaders Expect Industry Conditions To Worsen In 2026), with fewer people eligible for . . .