Author Archive for: kate-honsberger
About Kate Honsberger
Kate Honsberger is a senior policy associate at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), where she works on projects related to children’s health coverage and access. Prior to joining NASHP in January 2015, she worked for the Virginia Health Care Foundation where she oversaw the Foundation’s child health insurance initiatives, including an outreach and enrollment assistance grant program and a Medicaid and CHIP training program. She also spoke to various audiences aout the public health insurance options available to children and pregnant women and the impact of the Affordable Care Act on those programs.
Kate has also held positions at the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services in the Maternal and Child Health Division and in the administration of Governor Timothy M. Kaine. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Mary Washington.
Entries by Kate Honsberger
States Are Increasing their Use of Medicaid Managed Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
September 17, 2020 in Policy Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by Olivia Randi and Kate HonsbergerA new, 50-state analysis of Medicaid managed care programs by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) shows that in the past three years, state Medicaid managed care (MMC) programs have: Enrolled more children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN); Provided more services to them through managed care; and Launched more specialized […]
Slide Deck: How States Can Improve Home Health Delivery for Children with Medical Complexity
July 31, 2020 in Policy Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by Kate Honsberger, Ellen Bayer, Anna Matilde “Tilly” Tanga and Karen VanLandeghemThis slide deck features innovative solutions states have implemented to address challenges in home health delivery, such as provider shortages, lack of coordination between Medicaid, Title V CYSHCN programs, and other stakeholders, and cumbersome prior authorization processes. Download the slide deck
Six States’ Strategies to Providing Home Health Services to Children Enrolled in Medicaid
July 6, 2020 in Policy Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio, Washington Blogs, Featured News Home Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Community Health Workers, COVID-19, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Olivia Randi and Kate HonsbergerTo improve the quality of services for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and reduce health care costs, states are implementing strategies to improve access to home health services. Of particular importance as states confront COVID-19-related budget challenges, home health services can help to avoid costly emergency department use, hospitalizations, and institutional […]
State Approaches to Providing Home Health Services to Children with Medical Complexity Enrolled in Medicaid
July 6, 2020 in Policy Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Community Health Workers, COVID-19, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Kate Honsberger, Ellen Bayer, Anna Matilde “Tilly” Tanga and Karen VanLandeghemStates’ Recent 1115 Waiver Applications Include Provisions to Support Children during the Pandemic
April 27, 2020 in COVID-19 Blogs, Featured News Home Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, COVID-19, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Workforce Capacity /by Kate HonsbergerMore than a dozen states have recently submitted 1115 waiver applications that have the potential to safeguard access to care and increase support for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved, these 1115 waivers would be retroactively to March 1, 2020, and expire “no later than 60 days after the end of the public health […]
State Medicaid Strategies to Maintain Access to Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs during the Pandemic
April 6, 2020 in COVID-19 Blogs, Featured News Home Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, COVID-19, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by Kate Honsberger and Karen VanLandeghemStates and the federal government are taking unprecedented steps to address the health needs of individuals impacted by COVID-19, including children and adults with chronic and complex health care conditions who are vulnerable to infection and to changes in the health care delivery system that may impact their ability to access much-needed primary and specialty […]
Serving Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs in Medicaid Managed Care: Targeted Contract Language
March 12, 2020 in Policy Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Featured Policy Home, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by Kate Honsberger, Anna Matilde “Tilly” Tanga and Karen VanLandeghemCMS Requests Input to Better Coordinate Care for Children with Complex Conditions from Out-of-State Providers
February 10, 2020 in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, EPSDT, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Kate HonsbergerThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a request for information (RFI) for input from states, providers, health systems, and families to better coordinate care from out-of-state providers for children with complex health conditions enrolled in Medicaid. The deadline to submit comments is March 23, 2020. States have long addressed issues of […]
NASHP and States Develop National Care Coordination Standards for Children with Special Health Care Needs
August 12, 2019 in Policy Blogs Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, EPSDT, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health /by Karen VanLandeghem and Kate HonsbergerCare coordination has long been a core component of state efforts to improve health outcomes, reduce caregiver and patient burden, decrease health care costs, and strengthen systems of care for children and adults with chronic and complex conditions. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), with support from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s […]
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For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
