On January 22, 2018, Congress reauthorized funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023. The CHIP provisions are included as the Healthy Kids Act under H.R. 195, Division C.  Division B extends a short-term continuing resolution (CR), which was necessary to reverse a three-day federal government shut-down. Division D affects certain health care related taxes established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The President signed the bill into law on January 22. 

The latest compilation of data from the AFCARS report demonstrates a double digit increase in the number of children within the foster care system over the last 10 years. A critical factor in that increase relates to the current opioid epidemic, which is affecting all states and their child welfare agencies.  Of the 437,465 children in the foster care system during Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2016, approximately 68.1% (or 296,643) of the children were placed as a result of drug abuse or neglect...

Public Consulting Group (PCG) today announced that it has been selected to present at SXSWedu, the leading education conference in Austin, Texas, in March, for the second year in a row. This year, PCG will lead four innovative sessions, once again bringing together thought leaders and experts from across the country to highlight innovation, best practices, and collaboration across a breadth of fields...

On January 11, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) distributed a State Medicaid Director letter outlining new guidelines for states about mandating work and other community engagement activities for adult Medicaid beneficiaries who are not aged, disabled, or pregnant. CMS defines community engagement broadly, as encompassing activities such as job search, education, skills training, caregiving, volunteer service, and treatment for substance use disorders; and suggests that such activities may be linked to better health outcomes.