Population Health
FEATURED ARTICLE
Highlights from the Behavioral Health Preconference: It’s All about Collaboration
/in Policy Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio Annual Conference, Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Lesa RairOn October 19th in Dallas, NASHP brought together a diverse group of state and federal Medicaid and mental health leaders to talk about emerging issues in the world of mental health, substance use, and recovery. True to its title, the pre-conference session “Whole Person Care: Finding Shared Solutions Across Mental Health, Substance Use, and Medicaid […]
The Healthier Washington Initiative Promotes Accountable Communities of Health Statewide
/in Policy Washington Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health /by Taylor KniffinAt a recent NASHP preconference, Improving Health, Lowering Costs: Translating Population Health into Effective State Policy, we heard from Washington State about the innovative work currently underway as part of its Healthier Washington initiative. This panel featured MaryAnne Lindeblad from the Washington Health Care Authority (HCA) and two local perspectives: Patty Hayes, Director of Public […]
State Strategies for Defining Medical Necessity for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Reports Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by NASHP and Barbara WirthMedicaid programs nationwide are mandated to use the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit to improve the health of low-income children with special physical, emotional, and developmental health care needs. This benefit supports children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) by ensuring they receive individualized health care when they need it—provided those services are deemed medically […]
To Improve Health and Lower Costs, Oregon Gets Flexible
/in Policy Oregon Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersWhen it comes to keeping members healthy—not just treating them when they’re sick—the Oregon Health Authority knows it can pay to be flexible. Through its 1115 demonstration, Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) can pay for non-medical services that improve the health of their members while lowering costs. CCOs are local networks of Medicaid providers that […]
Leveraging State Resources to Create a Culture of Health
/in Policy Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersFrom Alaska to Vermont, there is broad recognition across states that improving health and lowering costs requires policymakers to build links between initiatives aimed at reforming the delivery system and those that address factors outside of traditional health care that extend to work, family, and community life. Implementing this vision challenges states to find new approaches […]
State Strategies for Integrating Health Care and Housing for Homeless Individuals and Families
/in Policy Webinars Accountable Health, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHPThis webinar offered participants an opportunity to learn about cross-agency levers states can use to meet the housing and health needs of homeless populations. The webinar also addressed the financing mechanisms, data infrastructure and strategic partnerships that facilitate the blending of health care and housing funding streams.
Oregon’s Bridge to Value-Based Payments for Community Health Centers: A Win for Medicaid, Providers, & Patients
/in Policy Oregon Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Mary Takach and Ledia TaborStates are developing new ways to pay Medicaid providers based on quality and efficiency over number of visits. However, these payment options can present challenges for states in integrating safety net providers into their efforts. In Oregon, Medicaid and the state’s Primary Care Association (PCA) have embarked on an alternative payment model that is breaking […]
Is Housing Good Medicine for States?
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Housing and Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersRecent media reports have featured chronically homeless individuals who have improved their health and reduced their emergency department use thanks to one intervention:supportive housing. According to one federal agency, supportive housing is “an approach to subsidized housing that provides voluntary services for people with disabilities and chronic conditions to promote long-term stability, recovery and improved health.” […]
Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Achieve Multi-Payer Payment Reform
/in Policy Michigan Webinars Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHPDuring this webinar, we examined how an existing private medical home program in Michigan was leveraged to develop a statewide medical home initiative. Chris Koller provided an overview of common approaches states have taken to engage multiple payers in reform efforts. Speakers from both Michigan state and Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) discussed Michigan’s approach to utilizing partnerships and ongoing work of BCBS in the state to develop its patient-centered medical home initiative.
Conducting the Orchestra of Multi-Payer Payment Reform: Achieving Harmony in Arkansas and Vermont
/in Policy Arkansas, Vermont Blogs Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP, Tess Shiras and Anne GauthierImagine an orchestra filled with providers and plans each playing its own tune to move towards value-based payment to incentivize better care and health. Alone, each tune is recognizable. But without working together, cacophony abounds. Enter the state as conductor and participant in aligned multi-payer payment reform, and sweet sounds emerge. If it only happened […]
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. 
Eye on the Storm: Two NASHP Staffers in Texas Reflect on Weathering Winter Storm Uri
/in Policy Texas Blogs, Featured News Home COVID-19, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Eskedar Girmash and Sarah LanfordLast month, Winter Storm Uri caused catastrophic power outages across Texas. National Academy for State Health Policy staff Eskedar Girmash and Sarah Lanford, who work remotely from Dallas and Houston during the pandemic, were both without power for four days as temperatures fell to single digits and they lost access to water. At least 58 people died trying to stay warm, and more […]