Chronic and Complex Populations
FEATURED ARTICLE
States Explore Strategies to Advance Palliative Care at #NASHPCONF18
/in Policy Blogs 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, Workforce Capacity /by Kitty Purington and Hannah DorrStates, as regulators, payers, and innovators of health care, are uniquely positioned to improve the lives of Americans with serious illnesses by promoting access to palliative care. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is working with state leaders to expand and improve palliative care, explore how these services align with other initiatives (e.g., […]
Conference Presentations 2018
/in Policy Annual Conference, Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, 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, HIV/AIDS, Housing and Health, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP StaffBelow is a full list of the Conference speaker presentations.
How States Address Social Determinants of Health in their Medicaid Contracts and Contract Guidance Documents
/in Policy Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Healthy Child Development, Housing and Health, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Tina KartikaTo encourage investments in population health, states are increasingly using levers available in their managed care and value-based contracts to address social determinants of health, such as housing and employment. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Academy for State Health Policy examined Medicaid contracts and contract guidance documents in 11 states […]
State Strategies to Incorporate Oral Health into Medicaid Payment and Delivery Models for People with Chronic Medical Conditions
/in Policy Alabama, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington Reports Child Oral Health, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Oral Health /by Amy Clary, Carrie Hanlon and Najeia MentionState health policymakers know oral health is an essential component of overall health and well-being, but state Medicaid programs face increasing costs and growing demands. Many of their enrollees struggle with high-cost, chronic conditions — often linked to oral health issues. To explore possible approaches to improve oral health care, NASHP interviewed key Medicaid officials […]
Overcoming Payment Challenges to Realize the Promise of Telehealth
/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 […]
Three-Part Series: Improving Care for People Living with HIV: Opportunities for State Medicaid-Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Collaboration
/in Policy Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin Reports Administrative Actions, 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, HIV/AIDS, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Quality and Measurement, State Rx Legislative Action /by Lyndsay SanbornStates play critical roles in ensuring that people living with HIV (PLWH) have access to quality care through their Medicaid and Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs. PLWH can be among the most medically complex individuals covered by state health programs, and their care can cost five-times more than the average Medicaid beneficiary. Given limited resources, state […]
Fact and Figures: How Medicaid Covers Behavioral Health Treatment in Children
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Chris KukkaMedicaid pays a large share of treatment costs for children with behavioral health conditions. In 2011, more than 4 million children enrolled in Medicaid had a diagnosed behavioral health condition. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has developed an informational fact sheet summarizing Medicaid provisions that cover behavioral health treatment for children. The […]
Flurry of Bills Targeting the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Families Reach Congress
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Miara Handler and Carrie HanlonThe country’s opioid crisis has had a devastating effect on women, children, and families, and continues to strain state health, foster care, and social service agency budgets. A flurry of bills has recently been introduced in Congress to prevent or reduce the effects of the opioid crisis and many directly impact families and children. The […]
How State Medicaid and Title V Partnerships Improve Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs in Medicaid Managed Care
/in Policy 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, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Hannah Eichner and Kate HonsbergerStates are increasingly utilizing Medicaid managed care (MMC) to serve children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), who often require a complex array of services. Many states are finding that forging partnerships between their MMC systems and Title V CYSHCN programs improves care coordination, transitions from pediatric to adult care systems, quality of […]
NASHP’s State SUD Policy Institute Supports States to Address SUD in Federally Qualified Health Centers
/in Policy Alabama, Illinois, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP WritersNASHP congratulates the five states selected to participate in NASHP’s State Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Policy Institute: Alabama Illinois South Dakota Virginia Wisconsin The State SUD Policy Institute, supported by a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration, will assist these five state teams to develop innovative strategies to increase access to and […]

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.