The News
Daily coverage of the developments shaping health and human services. From policy shifts to program innovations, reports on trends-shaping mental health, addiction treatment, child and family services, autism and I/DD, disability support and long-term care, social services, corrections, juvenile justice, chronic disease management, health care systems, and more-helping leaders make timely, informed decisions.
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Court Approves Alabama Child Welfare Settlement To Reduce Institutionalization Of Children With Disabilities
July 9, 2026A federal judge has approved a settlement agreement establishing new safeguards to protect Alabama children in foster care with mental health disabilities from unnecessary institutionalization. Alabama entered into a preliminary settlement in February 2026, and on June 18, 2026, the… -
Michigan Implements New Children’s Services Administration’s Caseworker ‘Teaming’ Model Statewide
July 9, 2026The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has fully implemented a new child welfare caseworker staffing model using a team-based approach, replacing the state’s former system in which a single caseworker managed all aspects of a family’s case.… -
OIG Audit Finds Pennsylvania Behavioral Health MCO Failed To Meet Prior Authorization Requirements
July 9, 2026Community Behavioral Health (CBH), a Pennsylvania behavioral health Medicaid managed care organization (BH-MCO), did not comply with all federal and state requirements when denying behavioral health service requests requiring prior authorization in 2023, according to a recent audit by the… -
Stop-Gap Funding Prevents Outpatient Service Cuts At Kentucky’s Lee Specialty Clinic For People With I/DD
July 9, 2026Lee Specialty Clinic, a state-operated provider organization serving individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), planned to scale back its outpatient services beginning July 15, 2026, following a 66% funding reduction in the 2026-2028 state budget adopted by the Kentucky General Assembly.… -
Young Adults With Autism & Intellectual Disability Had Higher Health Care Costs Than Those With Autism Alone
July 8, 2026Medicaid fee-for-service health care expenditures among youth and young adults ages 16 to 19 with developmental disabilities transitioning to the adult health care system between 2015 and 2019 were higher for those with both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual… -
Florida Pediatric Group Sues State Over Medicaid Payment Rate Cuts Following ABA Transition
July 8, 2026A large pediatric provider organization in Florida is suing the state Medicaid program in an effort to recover primary care funding it alleges was lost after the state revised Medicaid payment rates. The complaint, filed by Pediatric Associates, seeks an… -
Youth In Lower Opportunity Zip Codes Had Higher Rates Of Mental Health Emergency Department Visits
July 8, 2026Youth living in lower-opportunity ZIP codes were more likely to use the emergency department for acute mental health care than youth living in higher-opportunity ZIP codes, according to a recent study based on data from Kansas and Missouri. The Child… -
U.S. Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Care Costs Projected To Reach $459 Billion In 2026
July 8, 2026The United States is projected to spend $459 billion in 2026 on the treatment, paid care, and unpaid caregiving associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), according to a recent study. The total includes $222 billion in medical and… -
Federal Judge Vacates SNAP ‘Junk Food’ Restrictions In Five States
July 7, 2026A federal judge vacated U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pilot programs in five states that would have limited the types of foods eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. Specifically, the pilots would have… -
SAMHSA Urges States To Expand Pharmacists’ Authority To Increase Access To Opioid Use Disorder Medications
July 7, 2026To expand access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), the federal government is encouraging states to adopt policies that allow pharmacists to prescribe or initiate buprenorphine, a common medication used to treat opioid use disorder. The guidance anticipates opportunities…
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