Safety Net Providers and Rural Health
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Michigan’s Caring for Students Program Leverages Medicaid Funding to Expand School Behavioral Health Services
/in Policy Michigan Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Gia GouldDespite a federal rule change that allows states to bill Medicaid for school-based physical and behavioral health services provided to all Medicaid-enrolled students, many states struggle to overcome the persistent and complex billing challenges associated with receiving Medicaid reimbursement for delivery of these critical services. To access additional Medicaid funds to expand school-based behavioral health […]
Q&A: How Louisiana Has Retooled its Harm Reduction Services for Vulnerable Populations during COVID-19
/in Policy Louisiana Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, COVID-19, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, HIV/AIDS, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Eliza Mette, Mia Antezzo and Jodi ManzAs drug overdose deaths accelerate during the COVID-19 pandemic, states are working to ensure that a continuum of services, including access to harm reduction programs, remain available to people with substance use disorder (SUD). The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently spoke to Louisiana’s Viral Hepatitis Coordinator Emilia Myers and STD/HIV/Hepatitis Program Deputy […]
Tackling the Trifecta: State Approaches to Addressing Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders, HIV, and Hepatitis C
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, HIV/AIDS, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Eliza Mette, Jodi Manz and Kristina LongIn response to an increase in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), including opioid use disorders (OUD), state policymakers are employing multifaceted strategies to address this syndemic, collaborating with public and private partners to prevent the spread of infectious disease and provide access to evidence-based treatment. This report […]
How the President’s Proposed FFY 2021 Budget Would Impact Critical State Health Programs
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, HIV/AIDS, Housing and Health, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP StaffThe President’s budget request for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2021 proposes a 10 percent reduction in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) budget. A signature piece of the budget features the President’s Health Reform Vision, which includes $844 billion in cuts over 10 years to implement the Administration’s efforts to provide “better care […]
Governors Tackle Health Care Costs, Coverage, and Quality in their State of the State Addresses
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Work Requirements /by Sarah Lanford and Anita CardwellIn their 2020 state of the state speeches, governors identified new health policy initiatives on a wide range of issues. As of mid-February, 42 governors had delivered speeches or outlined key budget priorities, and all addressed health issues – most commonly strategies to tackle health care costs and behavioral health issues. Below are highlights of the key health themes […]
Transforming Systems to Improve Health Upstream: Lessons from Washington’s Accountable Communities of Health
/in Policy Washington Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Oral Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryFive years ago, Washington State launched a collaborative regional Accountable Communities of Health (ACH) model to improve the health of communities across the state. These ACHs have evolved into independent organizations that are integral to the state’s health system transformation efforts. A 2019 evaluation by the Center for Community Health and Evaluation found this ACH […]
Idaho Develops a Medicaid Value-Based Payment Model for its FQHCs, Based on Cost and Quality
/in Policy Idaho Blogs, Featured News Home Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Neva KayeStarting in early 2020, Idaho will launch a new value-based payment model that will compensate federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and other providers based on how much they improve the cost and quality of care delivered to Medicaid enrollees. The agency plans to sign contracts to implement the model in January, with implementation beginning July […]
State Officials Consider Patient Preferences when Evaluating Telehealth Evidence
/in Policy Alaska, California Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Johanna ButlerWhen exploring new evidence about the effectiveness of telehealth, state policymakers want to know which interventions consumers prefer and are scalable for a range of populations. In addition to working to ensure that new telehealth tools are evidence-based and effective, officials want to make sure both patients and providers are interested in utilizing them. The […]
State Medicaid Strategies to Promote Early Identification and Treatment of Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorder
/in Policy Featured News Home, Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Carrie Hanlon, Taylor Platt, Eddy Fernandez and Lyndsay SanbornStates face rapidly rising rates of substance use disorder (SUD) and overdoses among pregnant women and increases in maternal deaths and poor birth outcomes, such as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).[1] To understand how states promote early identification of SUD and treatment access for pregnant women, the National Academy for […]
Medicaid Incentives, Performance Measures, and Workforce Innovations Foster Access to Pediatric Oral Health Care
/in Medicaid Managed Care Featured News Home, Reports Child Oral Health, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Oral Health, Population Health, Program Design, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Special Populations and Services, Workforce Capacity /by Carrie Hanlon and Malka BerroWhile state policymakers across the country grapple with oral health care access challenges, California, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut are incentivizing their Medicaid plans and providers to deliver pediatric oral health services in innovative ways, with a special focus on community-based solutions. Under its Medicaid section 1115 waiver, California incentivizes dental care coordination by community health workers […]
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. 
Michigan’s Caring for Students Program Leverages Medicaid Funding to Expand School Behavioral Health Services
/in Policy Michigan Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Gia GouldDespite a federal rule change that allows states to bill Medicaid for school-based physical and behavioral health services provided to all Medicaid-enrolled students, many states struggle to overcome the persistent and complex billing challenges associated with receiving Medicaid reimbursement for delivery of these critical services. To access additional Medicaid funds to expand school-based behavioral health […]