Lawmakers increased health and human resources funding in 2025 budget; key Medicaid items remain contested

Senate Finance staff gave the Joint Commission on Health Care an overview Thursday of major health and human resources actions in the 2025 amended budget, underscoring that HHR makes up approximately one‑third of the state operating budget and that most federal funding flows to Medicaid and related programs.

The briefing matters because the size and composition of HHR spending affects Medicaid enrollment, behavioral health services, long‑term care rates and other programs the commission studies; several newly appropriated items will influence the department and provider planning in the near term.

Mike Tweedy of Senate Finance told commissioners the amended budget (referred to in the briefing as “Chapter 7 25”) includes an approximate $869 million general‑fund increase for the biennium, with the Medicaid utilization and inflation/forecast component comprising the largest share. He said roughly $632 million of the increase is for the Medicaid forecast, and that when combined with prior amounts the forecast funding totals…