Health & Human Services
Who gets to decide when you die? States consider medical aid in dying
More than a dozen states introduced bills to legalize the practice in 2023, which observers say can improve end-of-life systems and processes for families and health care providers.
Rethinking engagement to support a rapidly growing older adult population
COMMENTARY | Having a reliable, evidence-based planning process can significantly impact how state governments address the immediate needs of their aging residents while planning for the future.
Why a government shutdown is complex for state and local governments
It will impact welfare, food stamps, housing and infrastructure, among other things. But planning for a shutdown is difficult for a myriad of reasons.
What if we had fully funded safety net programs?
With 100% participation rates in fully funded social services, poverty nationwide would decrease by nearly a third and 4.8 million kids would be lifted out of poverty, according to a new study from the Urban Institute.
The government has a controversial idea to track mental health crisis calls
The national 988 hotline may start pinpointing callers, a move opponents say could lead to forced intervention and violate caller trust.
Births Decline in Most States, Continuing a Long-Term Trend
‘We’re back where we started before Covid hit.’
7% of the United States Is a ‘Play Desert’
COMMENTARY | Many of the counties lacking access to play areas were clustered in the Southeast and Southwest, and were most common in rural and suburban areas throughout the country.
AGs Urge Action on Households' Invisible Plastic Waste
In a letter, 17 Democratic state attorneys general called on the federal government to address "microfibers," the tiny bits of plastic most clothing sheds in washing machines.
More Than 72,000 Lose Medicaid Coverage in Arkansas
Thousands of children lost coverage in the state's effort to update enrollment—a process taking place nationwide as states review the eligibility of millions of Medicaid enrollees following the public health emergency.
Three Ways States Can Strengthen Home Visiting
COMMENTARY | The approach can address the developmental effects of the pandemic on toddlers.
How States Are Evaluating Medicaid Eligibility for Millions
States have 14 months to reexamine the eligibility of the roughly 93 million people on Medicaid. The approaches and timelines for review vary widely state by state.
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