Chronic and Complex Populations
FEATURED ARTICLE
Vermont Uses an Accountable Care Organization Model to Promote Developmental Screenings during Well-Child Visits
/in Policy Vermont Reports Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by Megan Lent and Carrie HanlonWithout early identification and treatment of development delays, children may face long-lasting and costly consequences. With more states reporting their developmental screening Child Core Set measures and new federal initiatives promoting value-based payment for children’s health, Vermont’s innovative affordable care organization’s approach can provide valuable insights. This fact sheet describes Vermont’s strategy to prioritize developmental […]
Palliative Care: A Primer for State Policymakers
/in Policy Reports Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Workforce Capacity /by Lyndsay Sanborn and Kitty PuringtonPalliative Care State Policymaker Summit Request for Applications
/in Policy Blogs Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Palliative Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Lyndsay SanbornThe Palliative Care State Policymaker Summit, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019, in Chicago, will bring together teams of state officials from up to 10 states for information sharing, discussion, and problem solving related to palliative care policies and programs. After the summit, state officials will receive ongoing support from NASHP staff and have access to a faculty of national […]
New Eight-State Policy Academy Advances Access to Care for Pregnant/Parenting Women with SUD
/in Policy Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Erin BonzonSubstance use disorders (SUD) and mental health conditions are prevalent among pregnant and parenting women in the United States, and they have far-reaching consequences for the health and well-being of women and their children. Integrated care models that support pregnant and parenting women’s physical and behavioral health and social service needs can improve outcomes for […]
New Medicaid Funding Could Help States Better Integrate Care for Children with Medical Complexity
/in Policy Blogs 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, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care /by Hannah Eichner and Kate HonsbergerEarlier this month, the Senate passed the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 (H.R. 1839), which contains funding mechanisms and reforms that allow states to improve care coordination for children enrolled in Medicaid. As of early this week, the bill was on the President’s desk awaiting his signature. This legislation significantly gives states […]
New Governors Take the Long View in Addressing Early Childhood Development
/in Policy California, Ohio Blogs Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Elinor HigginsState policymakers have historically promoted early childhood development improvements, but this year a growing number are acknowledging children’s early years as critical in determining their future health and success during adulthood. As a result, governors are promoting investments in the future health of their states by focusing resources on their youngest citizens. This investment can […]
New Report Highlights Successful, Cross-Agency Strategies to Address Substance Use Disorder
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by NASHP WritersStates are realigning policies, funding, staffing, and data across agencies to better meet the needs of people living with or at risk of developing substance use disorder (SUD). In 2018, NASHP and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) convened a group of Medicaid and public health leaders to discuss state strategies for […]
Webinar: Cross-Agency Approaches to Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment
/in Policy Webinars Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by NASHP StaffWednesday, March 20, 2019 4-5 p.m. (ET) Watch this NASHP-ASTHO webinar. Cross-agency collaborations are critical to develop and execute comprehensive approaches to substance use disorder (SUD) prevention and treatment. State public health and Medicaid agencies must look beyond their traditional roles to design a strategy greater than the sum of individual agency activities to achieve […]
How the President’s Proposed Budget Impacts Critical State Health Programs
/in Policy Blogs Administrative Actions, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP WritersThe President’s 2020 budget request proposes a 12 percent reduction in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget, compared to 2019 federal fiscal year (FFY) funding levels. The following highlights some of the key components of the President’s proposed $87.1 billion HHS budget proposal that could impact state health programs. Affordable Care […]
Considerations for States Crafting Budgets to Support Children’s Coverage
/in Policy Blogs Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by Anita CardwellAfter months of uncertainty and a three-month federal funding lapse, in early 2018 Congress passed the HEALTHY KIDS and ACCESS Acts, which appropriated federal funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through federal fiscal year (FFY) 2027. While the HEALTHY KIDS and ACCESS Acts’ long-term funding stabilizes CHIP programs and helps states develop forward-focused […]

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. 
























































































































































How States Are Administering Opioid Settlement Funds
/in Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD Featured News Home, Maps Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Opioid Use Disorder Chronic and Complex Populations /by Mia AntezzoNASHP Resource Hub: State Strategies to Build and Support Palliative Care
/in Policy Reports, Toolkits Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Featured Policy Home, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Workforce Capacity Chronic and Complex Populations /by Kitty Purington, Wendy Fox-Grage and Salom TeshalePalliative care helps individuals with serious illness better manage the symptoms and stressors of disease. These services are interdisciplinary, person- and family-centered, and can help people at any stage of a serious illness.
States are uniquely positioned to influence how Americans think about access, and experience palliative care.