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LSO briefs Senate panel on Health and Welfare non-Medicaid budget trends and staffing
Summary
Legislative Services Office analysts told the Senate committee that Medicaid drives most department growth; excluding Medicaid, Health and Welfare expended about $687.9 million in FY2025, personnel costs were about $238 million and an 8% vacancy rate was noted across the agency.
Alex Williamson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee that much of the year-over-year growth in the Department of Health and Welfare budget is driven by Medicaid. "Much of the growth that you see year over year for the last 5 years, is driven largely by changes in the Medicaid budget," Williamson said, and presented slides separating Medicaid to show the remaining department divisions.
Williamson reported that the department expended $5,540,000,000 in FY2025 (including Medicaid); when Medicaid is excluded, Health and Welfare expenditures were roughly $687,900,000. He also noted approximately 3,029.64 authorized FTEs with about 252 vacancies (an 8% vacancy rate). The presentation explained the state's benchmark budget process (benchmark 4 to benchmark 5) and said many divisions are submitting maintenance-only requests for FY2027.
Committee members asked for follow-up details and the analysts offered to provide additional documentation from the legislative budget book and the application materials online.
