Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD
FEATURED ARTICLE
State Policy Center for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Access
New Report Shows Increase in ED Utilizations for Behavioral Health – What States Can Do
/in Policy Delaware, Oregon, Washington Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Jenna BluesteinThe Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released an eye-opening study this past week, indicating that utilization of emergency department (ED) services due to behavioral health conditions increased sharply from 2006 to 2013. The brief “Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders,” highlights a 52 percent increase in ED utilization […]
21st Century Cures Act: Implications and Opportunities for States
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Jenna BluesteinThe 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures”), signed into law on December 13, 2016, is being heralded as landmark legislation for biomedical innovation. Cures funds new research, streamlines the development of new drugs, and supports the inter-operability of health information systems. State policymakers, however, may want to focus their attention on Cures’ myriad behavioral health provisions, […]
Coverage of Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Services
/in Policy South Carolina Blogs, Webinars Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Alexandra KingResearch has shown that a quality home visit by a nurse, social worker, early childhood educator or other trained personnel during pregnancy and early parenting can improve the lives of families and their children both at an early age and well into adolescence and early adulthood. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and […]
Incentivizing Healthy Behaviors and Personal Responsibility
/in Policy Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana Annual Conference, Blogs Accountable Health, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Lesa RairTo help better prevent and control costly conditions such as chronic diseases, and to break the cycle of poor health, states are experimenting with mechanisms to incentivize healthy behaviors and personal responsibility for wellness. This past October, as part of the 29th Annual State Health Policy Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, leaders from Connecticut, Idaho, and […]
2016 Opioid Preconference eBook
/in Policy Annual Conference Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by NASHP Writers2016 – NASHP Opioid Preconference eBook Visit here for the 2017 Opioid Preconference eBook!
Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the EPSDT Benefit
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Barbara WirthState Medicaid agencies are working to provide comprehensive health care services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), currently the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States for individuals under age 21. This brief highlights information from the 2014 CMS Informational Bulletin providing clarification on services to be provided to Medicaid-eligible children with ASD […]
Intervention, Treatment, and Prevention Strategies to Address Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Areas
/in Policy North Carolina Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by Chiara Corso and Charles TownleyA Primer on Opportunities for Medicaid-Safety Net Collaboration The prevalence of substance abuse disorders in the United States has increased dramatically in the past 15 years with catastrophic consequences, especially in rural regions of the United States. Deaths and injuries from illegal opioid and heroin use are more prevalent in rural states, and death from […]
State Financing and Delivery Innovations to Address Disparities in Uncontrolled Childhood Asthma
/in Policy Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Taylor Kniffin and Felicia HeiderThe high prevalence of uncontrolled asthma among child populations served by Medicaid programs and the associated rising costs often are the impetus for states to improve the quality of care provided to children with asthma. New opportunities to comprehensively address asthma and its triggers are emerging through state and national health care delivery system and […]
Chronic Pain Management Therapies in Medicaid: Policy Considerations for Non-Pharmacological Alternatives to Opioids
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Health Coverage and Access, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by Hannah Dorr and Charles TownleyAlthough most Medicaid agencies cover services that can be used as alternatives to opioids for pain management, significantly fewer states have policies or procedures in place to encourage their use. Between March and June 2016, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) conducted a survey of all 51 Medicaid agencies to determine the extent […]
Federal-State Discourse on Maintaining Momentum for Payment and Delivery System Reform
/in Policy Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Quality and Measurement, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersText
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. 
Understanding Opioid Settlement Spending Plans across States: Key Components and Approaches
/in Opioid Center, Policy Featured News Home, Reports Opioid Use Disorder /by Sam Mermin, Rebekah Falkner and Katie Greene