Department of Human Services

President-elect Donald Trump’s promised federal budget cuts have created an uncertain future for Medicaid funding. Half of Hawaiʻi’s children and roughly a third of residents rely on Medicaid for health coverage.

The guidance came after the Compact Impact Fairness Act was signed into law this year, allowing Micronesians to access benefits including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, also known as SNAP or food stamps.

Citizens from the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau are now eligible for federal benefits. But when they can access them remains unclear. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.

The state Department of Human Services will have a new director in May. Gov. Josh Green announced that he has selected Ryan Yamane to succeed current Director Cathy Betts.

The state has made it easier for families affected by the Maui fires to qualify for child care assistance. But they have to apply for it by the end of the month.

The state Department of Human Services has published a report on child abuse and neglect in 2021. They found that 2021 had a record number of reported child abuse cases — the highest number of reported in over 10 years.

The state has several programs through the Department of Human Services to assist those who are blind or visually impaired, and one measure moving through the state Legislature would create a pilot program and expand some of the services on Oʻahu to a neighbor island.

A measure that would establish a three-year pilot program at the state Department of Human Services to help houseless individuals fly back to their families on the continental U.S. has progressed in the Legislature. HPR's Casey Harlow has more.

Cathy Betts will stay in her job as the director of the state's Department of Human Services — a position that was nominated by Gov. Josh Green in December. She was first appointed as the deputy director of DHS in 2017, and moved up to the role of director a few months into the pandemic.

The state Department of Human Services is asking residents with Medicaid coverage to update their contact information. The department will be giving members new redetermination months as it restarts the process.