Blog
5/16/2023
The U.S.-declared COVID-19 public health emergency is over, but some of its effects persist, including a heightened need for children’s behavioral health services.
5/10/2023
Among other provisions, the Governor’s budget change package proposes to eliminate a disputed tax that funds Medicaid (i.e., MaineCare) services, to limit the State’s liability going forward and clear the path for payment rate reform.
4/7/2023
At the direction of Governor Janet Mills, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has developed and executed a variety of programs to address the shortage of qualified health care workers in Maine.
3/30/2023
Since the start of the Mills Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has prioritized both expanding eligibility for MaineCare and improving how the program pays for services for its members.
3/8/2023
This month, an extra amount of Federal food support that was provided during the COVID-19 pandemic will end in Maine and other states. The extra amounts, known as Emergency Maximum Allotments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), were funded by Congress and the President in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
2/28/2023
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) has awarded $4.3 million to 13 organizations in its first round of Home and Community Based Services HCBS Innovation Pilot Grants designed to support projects that promote greater independence and community participation among individuals with disabilities.
2/21/2023
Maine is making progress in restoring access to a range of long-term support services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Second Annual Report on Efforts and Progress in Implementing the Recommendations of the Commission to Study Long-term Care Workforce Iss
2/17/2023
Today, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Plan for Maine (PDF) to improve the continuum of behavioral health services available to Maine people from childhood throughout the lifespan.
2/7/2023
The Governor’s biennial budget proposes investing approximately $240 million to strengthen Maine’s education and early care system and provide critical supports to children, youth and their families.
1/27/2023
Child care access and integration with early childhood education increased significantly in Maine between 2019 and 2022, according to a new analysis and report by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC).
1/24/2023
As the largest Department in State government that serves one in three Maine residents, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is committed to removing barriers to services for various populations, improving equitable outcomes, and making working in and with DHHS a positive experience for people of all cultures, races, ethni
1/20/2023
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM) announced today that during the Open Enrollment Period for 2023 coverage, which ran from November 1, 2022, through January 15, 2023, 63,388 Maine people selected affordable health insurance plans at CoverME.gov, Maine’s Health Insurance Marketp
1/19/2023
Governor Janet Mills’ biennial budget proposes $84 million to support access and innovation in services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and brain injury.
1/11/2023
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced today an unprecedented increase in behavioral health investments to $237 million in federal and state funds to continue MaineCare and related payment improvements as well as make critical investments in the children’s behavioral health system and opioid response.
1/11/2023
Governor Janet Mills’ biennial and supplemental budgets propose $169 million for initiatives to expand and improve home-based care, invest in the safety of older residents, and continue to invest in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes. This includes full funding of home-delivered meals to ensure that eligible older adults continue to receive meals as one-time federal funding is depleted.
12/7/2022
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) today announced additional heating cost relief to help older Mainers with low income pay for high energy costs, complementing Governor Mills’ Emergency Winter Energy Relief Plan.
11/16/2022
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services today published a comprehensive compilation of child care providers in the state that received nearly $74 million in COVID-19 Child Care Stabilization Grants, which helped Maine child care providers increase pay for staff and cover costs related to COVID-19.
11/14/2022
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is pleased to share that the Office of MaineCare Services (OMS) was recognized today by the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) for its work to transform Maine’s rate-setting system to better support the health of members and sustainability of providers.
11/10/2022
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) announced today the launch of Help Me Grow Maine, an initiative to connect Maine families to services and resources that help young children grow up healthy and thriving.
11/10/2022
As Maine and the nation sort through the results and implications of the election for 2023, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is looking back at accomplishments over the past four years that will set the stage for further gains during a second term for Governor Janet Mills.