Chronic and Complex Populations
FEATURED ARTICLE
New Law to Curb Opioid Abuse and Diversion Passed in Maine, Strengthens Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
/in Policy Maine Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing /by Lesa RairGovernor Paul LePage signed into law “An Act to Prevent Opiate Abuse by Strengthening the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program” (now PL 2015, c. 488) on April 19, 2016, making Maine the second state to pass legislation on the issue this year. In March, Massachusetts passed the nation’s first law limiting first-time opioid prescriptions. Maine’s […]
Using CHIP and the ACA to Better Serve Children Now and in the Future
/in Policy Reports Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Anita CardwellStates have made great strides in providing children in families with low-to-moderate income appropriate and affordable health coverage over the past two decades through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created new coverage options for other populations, including parents who were previously uninsured. However, the ACA also includes […]
Understanding Medicaid Claims and Encounter Data and their Use in Payment Reform
/in Policy Reports Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP WritersStates across the country are fully engaged in delivery system and payment reform efforts to improve care and lower costs in their Medicaid programs. Data is a critical component of these efforts. This NASHP brief provides an introduction to two types of Medicaid utilization data—fee-for-service claims data and managed care encounter data—and, based on examples […]
Webinar: Proposed Changes to the Substance Use Privacy Rules: Overview and Discussion with State Policymakers
/in Policy Webinars Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by NASHP StaffMassachusetts Becomes First State to Pass Statewide Cap on First-Time Opioid Prescriptions
/in Policy Massachusetts Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP WritersEarlier this year, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker discussed his state’s opioid epidemic during his State of the Commonwealth Address. Less than two months later, on March 14, he signed omnibus legislation designed to tackle the epidemic head-on. Chapter 52 of the Acts of 2016 contains a wide range of provisions, however one specific provision is […]
Proposed Rule on Confidentiality of Substance Use Information Released
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by NASHP WritersOn February 9th, 2016, Health and Human Services Department released long-awaited proposed rules on 42 CFR Part 2, the federal regulation that governs how federally-funded substance use disorder (SUD) programs may share health information; public comments are due on April 11th. The proposed changes to 42 CFR Part 2 would, among other things, make it […]
Braiding and Blending Funding Streams to Meet the Health-Related Social Needs of Low-Income Persons: Considerations for State Health Policymakers
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Lesa RairMedicaid beneficiaries often need support outside the scope of clinical health care in order to lead healthy lives, and states are uniquely poised to provide this support by addressing the social determinants of health. While states steward a variety of funding sources that address the needs of low-income populations, too often a Medicaid beneficiary must […]
Bolstering State Efforts to Screen for Postpartum Depression
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Lesa RairIn late January, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a recommendation that clinicians screen the general adult population, including pregnant and postpartum women, for depression. Depression screening for pregnant and postpartum women is not a new idea. The Medicaid program, as a major payer of perinatal health care covering 48 percent of all U.S. […]
Using Peers to Support Physical and Mental Health Integration for Adults with Serious Mental Illness
/in Policy Georgia, Kansas, Oregon Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Lesa RairPeople with mental illnesses use more resources and are more expensive to cover than Medicaid enrollees without these disorders. Moreover, the subset of adults with serious mental illness (SMI) has the highest per person cost of all disabled, non-dually eligible individuals enrolled in state Medicaid programs. Trained peer support specialists are well positioned to bridge the […]
Meeting the Health-Related Social Needs of Low-Income Persons: Funding Sources Available to States
/in Policy Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Lesa RairThe Accountable Health Communities initiative recently announced by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) holds promise for helping communities bridge the gap between health care and social services. This important work has the potential to improve health in communities by addressing food insecurity, housing instability, and other social determinants of health. Although the […]
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.