Quality and Measurement
FEATURED ARTICLE
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 […]
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
Putting the Evidence to Work for States
/in Policy Oregon, Washington Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Felicia HeiderEvidence reviews are powerful tools that allow health policymakers to direct resources to certain options that outperform others. Evidence-informed approaches can optimize coverage decisions, increase performance on quality improvement measures, and drive effective responses to major challenges. One way states are utilizing these evidence-informed approaches is in addressing the opioid crisis. The Agency Medical Directors’ […]
Data for Change: How States Have Used APCDs to Drive Innovation
/in Policy Maryland, New Hampshire Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement, Value-Based Purchasing /by Tamara KramerState-run all-payer claims databases (APCDs) are a critical public resource and serve a unique function in the current era of health care reform. APCDs, which are operating in 18 states, provide fair and equal access to independently validated data that can both support evidence-based policymaking as well as help patients navigate the health care system. […]
Webinar: Advancing Health through Accountable Communities: A Conversation with States
/in Policy Webinars Accountable Health, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP StaffUpdate: Sixth Circuit Declines to Expand ERISA; State Assessments on Self-Funded Insurers Upheld
/in Policy Blogs Accountable Health, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Tamara KramerIn a recent blog, NASHP highlighted a 6th Circuit case that had the potential to jeopardize the future of state assessments on self-funded plans (Self-Insurance Institute of America Inc. v. Snyder et al.). In March, the Supreme Court instructed the 6th Circuit to take a second look at a recent decision where the lower court […]
Rhode Island Becomes the Latest State to Pass Opioid Legislation in 2016
/in Policy Rhode Island Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Quality and Measurement /by Charles TownleyOn June 28, 2016, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed a series of bills to address opioid misuse and abuse in the state. Rhode Island is the most recent New England State to pass such legislation this year; the regional trend began in Massachusetts when Governor Baker signed omnibus legislation back in March. A summary […]
New York Joins State-Led Fight to Combat Opioid Crisis, Passes New Legislation
/in Policy New York Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Charles TownleyOn June 22, 2016, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a package of seven bills related to opioids and treatment for opioid addiction. The legislation, which includes recommendations from the governor’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force, is aimed at combatting the heroin and opioid crisis affecting the state. The state’s FY2017 budget includes nearly $200 […]
State Levers to Advance Accountable Communities for Health
/in Policy California, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington Reports Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Housing and Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health /by Lesa Rair, Taylor Kniffin and Felicia HeiderStates are testing a myriad of models that strive to achieve the Triple Aim objectives of improved care, reduced health care costs, and better health. Though several statewide health care delivery and payment system reforms have been shown to help slow the growth of health care expenditures and improve methods for delivering health care, taken […]
State Medicaid and Early Intervention Agency Partnerships to Promote Healthy Child Development
/in Policy Reports CHIP, CHIP, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by Felicia HeiderFacilitating a robust system of communication and coordination between medical and community service providers, an important goal of many health care delivery system reforms, is challenging for many states. With a variety of federal and state agencies sharing responsibility for child health and development, creating effective linkages among services is critical to optimizing outcomes. This […]
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. 
Hospital Transparency: State Efforts Reveal More Comprehensive Financial Data than Current Federal Requirements
/in Health System Costs Blogs, Featured News Home Consumer Affordability, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Hospital/Health System Oversight, Making the Case for Action, Quality and Measurement, Value-Based Purchasing /by Amanda Attiya and Maureen Hensley-QuinnFederal efforts to increase hospital price transparency are falling short as hospitals fail to fully comply with requirements. However, states with transparency laws that give them access to comprehensive hospital financial data are using the pricing information to more fully analyze hospitals’ fiscal health and inform states’ cost containment efforts.