Health and Human Services
The binational Midwestern Legislative Conference Health and Human Services Committee provides a forum for state and provincial legislators to exchange information and ideas on a wide range of policy issues, particularly those identified by the committee’s legislative officers and members. Activities include ongoing policy research, committee-sponsored webinars for legislators and legislative staff, and in-person meetings.
The committee is made up of legislators from the states and provinces that are part of CSG’s Midwestern Legislative Conference. The committee’s composition changes every biennium, with appointments made by legislative appointing authorities and leaders of the MLC. The appointment process for 2025-2026 is now underway. The CSG Midwest staff liaison for the committee is Tim Anderson.
The HHS Committee will meet in July 2025 in conjunction with the MLC Annual Meeting in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. More details on this meeting, as well as other committee activities for the 2025-2026 biennium, will be available soon.
Summary of recent work and activities
In 2023-2024, the MLC’s Health and Human Services Committee was led by Kansas Rep. Susan Concannon and Illinois Sen. Julie Morrison, co-chairs; and South Dakota Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, vice chair. During the 2023-2024 biennium, the committee:
- hosted an in-person policy workshop for legislators that focused on strategies for improving state child welfare systems;
- developed a policy resource for legislators on policy options that curb the rise of fentanyl-related overdose deaths;
- organized in-person meetings on topics such as state-led, evidence-based strategies to enhance maternal care services and to make the most of investments in substance abuse treatment;
- held a webinar for legislators on Medicaid policy and another on legal representation for youths in child welfare systems; and
- contributed policy articles to the CSG publication Stateline Midwest on topics such as insurance mandates for biomarker testing; assistance for individuals in medical debt; a “reimagining” of state child welfare systems; state-level telehealth policies; financing mechanisms to support 988 lifelines; and how and why to address “place” when looking to improve health outcomes and reduce costs.
Resources from 2024 committee meeting in Columbus
The MLC Health & Human Services Committee meets at least once a year as part of the MLC Annual Meeting, most recently in Columbus in 2024 and Detroit in 2023. Below are links to resources, including presentations, from the 2024 meeting in Columbus.
- Stateline Midwest article on “Transforming Maternal Care: State-Based Reforms in Ohio Include Use of Value-Based Payment Model”
- “Ohio’s Reforms and Advances in Child Welfare Services” | Joel Potts, Government and External Affairs Officer, Ohio Department of Children and Youth
- Presentation on “Transforming Child Services, Improving Lives” | Rita Soronen, President & CEO, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
- Presentation on “Innovation in Medicaid Payment for Quality Maternity Care in Ohio” | Maureen Corcoran, Director, Ohio Department of Medicaid
- Presentation on “Delivering and Paying For Quality Maternity Care Services” | Sinsi Hernández-Cancio, Vice President for Health Justice, National Partnership for Women and Families
- 2024 committee meeting agenda
Participants heard about the work of the bipartisan, binational Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus; how they can get involved; and how the GLLC helps legislators advance policies to protect and restore the region's water resources.
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The laws and policies that impact the legal rights and representation of youths in child welfare systems vary considerably. Participants in this web event learned about these differences, how they impact the lives of young people, and new laws and promising practices in the states.
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In conjunction with the 78th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference, the MLC Health & Human Services Committee met on Sunday, July 21, and held a stand-alone policy session on Monday, July 22, in Columbus, Ohio.
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Open to all, this webinar gave participants the opportunity to explore innovative strategies and programs to improve responses for people with mental health needs in the criminal justice system.
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This event gave participants the opportunity to explore state laws, programs and investments that support families and safely reduce foster care populations.
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In this Dec. 13 webinar, one of the nation’s leading policy experts on Medicaid examined important recent developments in this critical public insurance program, as well as some of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for state legislators and other leaders. Participants also learned about the tools and options available to the legislative branch regarding oversight of Medicaid, which made up close to 30 percent of total state spending in fiscal year 2023 and provides health insurance to about 20 percent of the people living in the United States. Resources from the webinar are now available.
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