Strong health and human services are essential for our nation’s well-being and economic prosperity, as economic growth in part depends on a healthy, skilled workforce with access to jobs. Federal human services programs like SNAP, TANF, and other child support services help 55 million low-income Americans with food, housing, and skills training to promote a better and more stable future.
These vital safety net programs, run by state agencies, still face significant challenges in maximizing their impact, including:
Poverty
In 2023, 36.8 million people (11.2% of the U.S. population) lived below the poverty line. More than twice that number don’t earn enough for basic needs like food, housing, health care, transportation, and child care, despite working full-time.
Food Insecurity
13.5% of households and 47 million people struggled to consistently put healthy food on the table in 2023.
Homelessness
In 2023, over 650,000 people in the U.S. didn’t have a permanent place to live. This is the highest number since 2007 and 12% higher than in 2022.
Addressing these challenges requires making changes to existing human services programs through effective policies, continued funding, and operational efficiencies.
Subheading: Four key themes are expected to take shape within Health and Human Services under the new administration:
1. Enhanced Program Integrity
In 2023, over $236 billion in improper payments highlighted the need for data-driven decision-making to prevent these errors and save taxpayer money. One potential change we could see from the Trump administration is a change in Health and Human Services (HHS) benefit eligibility or renewal policies. These could help reduce government and tax payer costs by restricting coverage with more requirements for verification of eligibility.
During President Trump’s first term, his administration worked to reduce Medicaid enrollment by encouraging states to conduct eligibility verification processes in between annual renewal periods. While some states conduct periodic data checks, the administration could encourage more states to adopt the policy as a program integrity strategy.
2. Improved Government Efficiency
The Trump Administration is focused on finding ways to reduce government spending. A potential strategy could be granting states flexibility to evaluate their own program efficiencies. Many states are already expected to curb spending in 2025 amid uncertain revenue conditions. Flexibility and certain budget-focused initiatives have the potential to reduce stress (i.e., potential budget cuts, backlogs and other challenges) placed on state agencies.
Using technology to automate the eligibility verification process (which currently relies on selfattestation, manual interactions with employers, or requires additional documentation) along with employing data from commercial sources that can be returned instantaneously is one way programs can look to operate with more efficiency. Such data sources can help states in their mission to lower costs, reduce administrative burdens, improve their customer experience, and expedite right-sized benefit delivery to eligible applicants.
3. Resumed Expansion of Work Requirements
The Trump Administration may reinforce work requirements for Medicaid recipients through the use of Medicaid Section 1115 waivers or further legislation. This would cover all capable adults receiving benefits, including those with school-aged children. HHS agencies may need to track employment status or hours worked to determine initial eligibility and verify continued eligibility during the redetermination processes.
4. Give States More Control Over Medicaid Funding
The Trump administration may explore ways to reform the delivery of Medicaid through block grants or per capita funding caps. This would give states more freedom to decide who would be eligible to receive benefits while helping cut federal funding. States would have the flexibility to innovate with different ways to cover health care costs, potentially providing assistance to their residents in other ways such as employment support, housing assistance, etc.
Many factors go into maintaining a nation full of opportunity, such as a robust health and human services system that can meet current and future demands. The incoming administration can play a crucial role by providing leadership, implementing organizational changes, and encouraging crosscollaboration among health and human services at the federal, state and local levels. These efforts can help drive innovation, create greater impacts on the communities they serve, and advance social and economic mobility.
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