American Public Human Services Association

APHSA In the NEWS

Stories about APHSA and its affiliates that appear in the nation’s news publications

George Sheldon: The Sunshine Express
(Gainesville Sun, 12-14-10)

Extend unemployment insurance benefits
(Salinas Californian/Elliott Robinson)

Adopt a new perspective for the sake of a child in Indiana
(South Bend Tribune, 11-18-2010)

Welfare's safety net hard to measure among states
(The Washington Post, 10-2-2010)

Lawmaker wants department's name changed
Pennsylvania is one of 2 states to use the word 'welfare' in the name of one of its departments. One state representative hopes to change that, but others worry it could be too expensive.
(Harrisburg Patriot News, 7-12-2010)

Seven Health Care Changes You Might Have Missed
You've probably heard that the new health overhaul law this year will provide an option for young adults to stay on their parents' health plans and set up insurance pools for people with pre-existing medical conditions who can't find insurance.
(7-9-2010)

Reforms Help States Cut Foster-Care Populations
NEW YORK (AP) -- No single youngster can be the poster child for America's foster care system, with its mix of happy endings and heartache.
(Associated Press, 6-3-2010)

Budget cuts dilute children's health coverage
No," says Ann Kohler, executive director of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors. "Some states are leaving money on the table. ...
(USA Today, 5-26-2010)

Fight Over Medicaid Rebates Takes on Political Overtones
With states facing loss of millions...
(iwpnews.com, 4-5-2010)

States fear that five words in Obama health law will open door to lawsuits
(The Daily Caller, 4-2-2010)

Getting Welfare to Work When Work Is Scarce
Aid to the poor hasn't kept pace with unemployment, prompting calls for a hard look at rewriting the law.
(CQ Weekly, 2-16-2010)

Kentucky's bet on Medicaid help might be safe
(Louisville Courier-Journal, 2-16-2010)

Rockefeller Leads Effort To Extend Increased Medicaid Matching Funds Through Jobs Bill
(INSIDE CMS, 1-29-2010)

Welfare rolls up in '09; more enroll in assistance programs
WASHINGTON — Welfare rolls rose in 2009 for the first time in 15 years, but the 5% increase was dwarfed by spikes in the number of people receiving food stamps and unemployment insurance.
(USA Today, 1-25-2010)

Medicaid provision for Nebraska raises ire
The rebellion against the $100 million promise has spread to nearly one-third of the nation's attorneys general, including two Democrats.
(The Washington Post, 1-17-2010)

States With Expanded Health Coverage Fight Bill
States that have already broadly expanded health care coverage are pushing back against the Senate overhaul bill,
(New York Times, 12-27-2009)

Florida first to offer Medicaid claims data online
Patients will be able to create personal health records through a related program.
(American Medical News, 12-21-2009)

Jerry Friedman's Letter to Editor on Texas SNAP Workers
I applaud Health and Human Services Executive Director Tom Suehs' effort in making sure that Texans who need state assistance wouldn't go hungry.

CMS plans to increase data sharing among Medicaid agencies
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to boost data sharing among its various programs that have common functions using the Medicaid Information Technology Architecture (MITA) and the nationwide health information network (NHIN).
(Government Health IT , 11-12-2009)

Jerry Friedman's Letter to Editor: Report Misses Reality
The article on the report "We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America" ("State ranks high in child abuse, poverty," Oct. 21) fails to acknowledge the work states have undertaken to improve child welfare programs and court systems.
(Tulsa World, 11-12-2009)

Funding, Enrollee Access Are Main Focus As State Officials Prepare for Expansion
With lawmakers almost certain to include a Medicaid expansion in any final health care reform legislation, states are focused on extending enhanced federal financing of the program and promoting easy access to programs, officials said Nov. 10.
(Health Care Daily Report, 11-12-2009)

Healthcare Reforms Will Cost U.S. States Millions
WASHINGTON - As the US government comes closer to reforming the country's health-care system, states are staring at spending ...
(Reuters, 11-10-2009)

Jerry Friedman's Letter to Editor on Child Abuse Report Contains Questionable Data
(Honolulu Advertiser, 10-25-2009)

A Cavity in Medicaid Dental Coverage
Access to Dentists Remains Problem for Low-Income Children on Public Insurance.
(The Washington Independent, 10-9-2009)

More kids are dying across the nation, in Las Vegas
Child abuse and neglect are taking a growing toll. But no one knows why.
(Las Vegas Sun, 10-2-2009)

GAO report: Millions in fraud, drug abuse clogs Medicaid
WASHINGTON — As Congress debates the government's role in health care, a report out Wednesday finds that state and federal officials failed to detect millions of dollars in Medicaid prescription drug abuse.
(USA TODAY, 10-1-2009)

Medicaid Expansion Would Guarantee Coverage, Not Care
Fewer Than Half of U.S. Doctors Accept Medicaid Patients.
(The Washington Independent, 9/22/09)

U.S. uninsured total again tops 46 million
But fewer children were uninsured in 2008 than in any year since 1987, the first year the U.S. Census Bureau collected comparable data.
(American Medical News, 9-21-2009)

Piling Trouble on a Torn Net
A planned expansion of the Mediciad program could threatn health care for the nation's poor, say doctors--and angry governors don't want states footing the bill.
(Congressional Quarterly, 9-21-2009)

Senate Finance Negotiators Grapple With Medicaid Expansion
(Inside CMS, 9-17-2009)

Baucus Health Reform Plan Stirs Questions on CHIP
(9-15-2009)

The toughest job in Oregon's government
When Gov. Ted Kulongoski complains about a rough day at work, his wife, Mary Oberst, likes to remind him: "At least you don't have Bruce Goldberg's job."
(The Oregonian, 8-22-2009)

GPS-like units to help Fla. child welfare workers
MIAMI -- When 4-year-old Rilya Wilson disappeared from foster care in 2002, it was more than a year before officials realized she was missing.
(Associated Press, 8-7-2009 )

Checking In With Carol Steckel On Expanding Medicaid
The Alabama Medicaid director discusses her state's Medicaid program and the health care reform proposal in Washington.
(Kaiser Health News, 7-22-2009)

Governor asks Goldberg to lead health care reform
Salem--Gov. Ted Kulongoski on Wednesday named Goldberg as his point man to carry out the provisions of House Bill 2009 -- passed by the 2009 Legislature -- to begin the work of transforming the state's health care system.
(The Oregonian, 7-8-2009)

At a critical juncture, no one is at the helm of state’s HHS
LINCOLN, Neb. — Gov. Heineman once argued for putting the state's Department of Health and Human Services under a single chief executive officer. He said the state’s largest agency would be more accountable and effective with that structure than it had been under committee governance.
(Omaha World-Herald, 6-29-2009)

Failing Kalab | Chapter 5 - Dealing with the fallout
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — He was just a little boy, an innocent with no agenda, who inadvertently became a symbol of flaws within the system responsible for keeping children safe.
(Evansville Courier Press, 6-14-2009)

Investing in Outcomes
Performance-based contracts aim to measure the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of government-funded programs.
(Governing, June 2009)

Agency rolling out welfare changes
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration is expected to announce within a few days major changes aimed at correcting problems stemming from recent efforts to modernize the massive welfare agency.
(5-30-2009)

States Approaching the GAP with Caution
The National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators is interviewing every state about its efforts to implement Fostering Connections Act programs.
(Youth Today, 5-13-2009 )

The Bradley Center faces suit over $4.2M in back rent
A Robinson child welfare agency is being sued for $4.2 million in back rent and related fees, two years after downsizing and shifting its focus to meet the changing needs of clients and regulators.
(Pittsburgh Business Times, 4-24-2009)

NASMD Chair Carol Steckel Discusses Medicaid Reg Moratorium
(8-13-2008)

APHSA Board Vice Chair Kevin McGuire on Welfare in The Washington Post
(8-3-2008)

APHSA Board Vice Chair Kevin McGuire in Editorial on Food Stamps in The Washington Post
(8-3-2008)

NASMD Director Ann Kohler on Medicaid Rules Moratorium
(8-1-2008)

NASMD Director Ann Kohler on Medi-Cal Cuts in Bakersfield Californian
(7-28-2008)

NASMD Director Ann Kohler on Aug. 17, 2007, SCHIP Rule
(7-24-2008)

Oklahoma HHS Chief Howard Hendricks on Day-Care in Associated Press
(7-24-2008)

Iowa HHS Chief Kevin Concannon in Des Moines Register Editorial
(7-14-2008)

APHSA Executive Director Jerry Friedman on Adoption in New York Times
(6-27-2008)

State Appeals Twin Girls' Adoption by N.J. Man
(1/27/07)

SCHIP Reauthorization Up in '07; Cost of Expansion a Major Issue
(January 2007)

Some States Denying Automatic Coverage to U.S.-Born Children of Illegal Immigrants
(11/7/06)