Health and Welfare outlines reorganization, requests fleet, IT and licensing flexibilities

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 13 that it has reorganized internal divisions to improve accountability and alignment with how the department is already administering programs, and presented several budget requests tied to that reorganization and operations.

Alex Williamson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, walked JFAC members through the department’s proposed structure and specific budget requests. The agency seeks to realign program appropriations to reflect operational responsibility — for example, moving behavioral health and several children's developmental disability programs under the Medicaid administrator and creating a new division titled Child, Youth, and Family Services.

“Historically there's been a disconnect between how the department organizes internally, and how JFAC and the legislature budget these programs,” Williamson said. She said the reorganization request is intended to align budgeted programs with where the work is being done and would be considered in the committee’s program maintenance work this week.

Director Alex Adams described the changes as intended to provide clearer lines of visibility and accountability. “How…