Author Archive for: johanna-butler
About Johanna Butler
Johanna Butler joined NASHP’s Coverage, Cost, and Value team in June 2018. She is involved with several projects related to lowering the cost of health care, focusing specifically on health system costs and prescription drug prices. She has also worked on advancing evidence-based policymaking through patient-centered outcomes research. Prior to joining NASHP, Johanna was an intern in the ranking member’s health policy office of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. She has also worked as the Lloyd Meeds Policy Fellow at K&L Gates and interned in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs. Johanna graduated from American University in 2018 with an interdisciplinary studies degree focused on communications, law, economics, and government, and holds a certificate in Advanced Leadership Studies from the School of Public Affairs.
Entries by Johanna Butler
State Officials Consider Patient Preferences when Evaluating Telehealth Evidence
December 2, 2019 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 […]
States Assert their Drug Purchasing Power to Capture Savings for Medicaid
November 18, 2019 in Medicaid Managed Care Ohio, Washington, West Virginia Blogs, Featured News Home Administrative Actions, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Model Legislation, Newly-Enacted Laws, Prescription Drug Pricing, Program Design, State Rx Legislative Action /by Johanna ButlerIn the face of rapidly rising prices, state Medicaid programs are asserting their prescription drug purchasing power through more active oversight of the administration of prescription drug benefits. As major drug purchasers, state Medicaid programs have leverage to lower costs without action from state legislatures. Ohio, Washington, and West Virginia have recently deployed a range […]
New NASHP Tool Helps States Leverage Public Purchasing of Prescription Drugs
November 5, 2019 in Policy California, Delaware, New Mexico Blogs, Featured News Home Administrative Actions, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Prescription Drug Pricing, State Rx Legislative Action /by Johanna Butler and Jennifer ReckAs state officials investigate reducing costs by leveraging their collective buying power to purchase prescription drugs, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has developed a Checklist for Coordinating Public Purchasing of Prescription Drugs to help states establish baseline data across public purchasers and identify effective strategies to coordinate purchasing. The checklist is designed to […]
States Explore Emerging Evidence to Learn New, Innovative Uses of Telehealth
September 30, 2019 in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by Johanna Butler and Christina CousartThe National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently launched the Telehealth Affinity Group, composed of state policymakers, that is examining emerging evidence from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) into innovative uses of telehealth to transform health care delivery systems in states. State and federal policymakers are eager to explore emerging patient-centered outcomes research […]
State Policy Levers for Advancing Quality Improvements in Primary Care
April 29, 2019 in Policy Reports Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Johanna Butler, Christina Cousart and Jennifer ReckStates, as major purchasers of health care, have a compelling interest to spur primary care providers to adopt the latest research to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care. This new report, the third in the EvidenceNOW: Insights for State Health Policymakers Series, highlights policy levers states can use to support the adoption of evidence-based […]
Colorado Develops New Payment Method for Physician-Administered Drugs – with the Potential to Save Millions
March 18, 2019 in Policy Colorado Blogs Administrative Actions, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Prescription Drug Pricing, Quality and Measurement /by Johanna Butler and Jennifer ReckThe National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) provided a grant to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to develop a new payment methodology for physician-administered drugs (PADs). PADs are drugs delivered by intravenous infusion or injection in clinical settings. The category includes costly drugs, such as chemotherapy and other specialty medications. […]
States Use Policy Levers and Emerging Research to Address Antipsychotic Use in Children in Foster Care
February 11, 2019 in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, 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, Quality and Measurement /by Johanna Butler, Jennifer Reck and Maureen Hensley-QuinnState policymakers must often take action during an emerging crisis even when evidence identifying the best policy approach is not be available. This report, Evidence-Based Policymaking Is an Iterative Process: A Case Study of Antipsychotic Use among Children in the Foster Care System, explores successful state responses to dramatic increases in antipsychotic prescription rates in Medicaid-enrolled children […]
Johanna Butler, Research Analyst
November 19, 2018 in Policy Staff /by Johanna ButlerEmail Johanna Butler joined NASHP in June 2018 as a research analyst with the Emerging Policy Issues team. She is involved with several projects related to lowering the cost of prescription drug prices and advancing evidence-based policymaking through patient-centered outcomes research. Prior to joining NASHP, Johanna was an intern in the ranking member’s health policy […]
Overcoming Payment Challenges to Realize the Promise of Telehealth
July 31, 2018 in Policy Blogs Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Johanna ButlerTelehealth– using telecommunications to improve patient care – has the potential to improve health care access and quality, especially in rural and medically-underserved areas. But inconsistent public and private insurance coverage and other challenges have hindered implementation of this promising health care tool. The National Academy for State Health Policy’s (NASHP) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Workgroup […]
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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. 
