Two Key Iowa Government Departments Set to Merge

In theory, the merging of two things usually sounds like an effort to make it smaller, but we know that's not often how it works with the government.

According to the Des Moines Register, Iowa's Department of Health is about to join the Iowa Department of Human Services to turn two separate entities into one.

Kelly Garcia, who has already been serving as the head of both departments, says that many of the two departments' services overlap, so merging them would make sense. An example of this is Medicaid. According to the Register, "the public health department looks to improve the health of all Iowans, while the human services department oversees Medicaid, which finances health care for nearly a quarter of the state's population" so why not have it under one umbrella?

Both groups have also played instrumental roles in serving Iowans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services merger was created over two years of preparation between the two agencies but was just officially approved by Governor Kim Reynolds in June of this year.

What does it mean for me?

According to a document obtained by KCRG on the mission statement of the newly regrouped organization, its goals are to:

• More efficiently and effectively manage health and human services programs that are the responsibility of the state.
• Establish a health and human services policy for the state.
• Promote health and the quality of life in the health and human services field.

No one in either department is expected to be laid off, although transitions will be made in the roles of staff members.