Health IT/Data
FEATURED ARTICLE
State and Federal Resources to Address Surprise Medical Balance Billing
/in Policy Blogs, Toolkits Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs /by NASHP WritersSurprise medical balance bills – charges for unexpected, out-of-network medical care – affect thousands of consumers each year. These bills can leave consumers stuck with hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in unexpected medical expenses. States are taking the lead in cracking down on surprise balance bills, passing consumer protection laws that range from strict […]
States Lead on Surprise Medical Billing Protections, Congress Poised to Follow
/in Policy Charts Consumer Affordability, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs /by Christina CousartInformation below references federal bills developed prior to January 2019. For an updated version of this chart, click here.
Hospital Price Transparency: The Next Frontier
/in Policy Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Washington Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Value-Based Purchasing /by Josephine PorterThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took an important first step toward increasing the transparency of hospital finances when it required hospitals to post their charge information, effective January 2019. But, these charges are not prices paid — they are typically the starting point against which commercial payers negotiate discounts. States with all-payer […]
Q&A: How Connecticut Matched Its Medicaid and Homelessness Data to Improve Health through Housing
/in Policy Connecticut Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Malka BerroStates working to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness can match their Medicaid data with Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data to track which populations are using housing services and which have the greatest unmet need. HMIS are databases that housing service providers and Continua of Care (CoCs) community and state agencies use to […]
2018 Elections and State Health Policy: Expect More Innovation
/in Policy 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 IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Workforce Capacity /by Anita Cardwell and Sarah LanfordSignificant state health policy changes are on the horizon as a result of Tuesday’s elections, which ushered in new governors and political changes in state legislatures across the country. Seven governorships (IL, ME, MI, NV, NM, KS, and WI) will switch parties and be steered by Democrats who all campaigned on health policy proposals. The […]
Health Coverage and Human Service Program Eligibility: Considerations for States Weighing Systems Integration
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffShould states integrate their health insurance and human services eligibility and enrollment systems? Some state officials are weighing this question now that their revamped, Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage systems have been operational for several years and most of the early, initial glitches have been repaired. However, there are multiple factors to consider, some […]
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 […]
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 […]
An Early Look at Vermont’s Value-Based, Multi-Payer “Next Gen” Model, Designed to Lower Costs and Improve Population Health
/in Policy Vermont Reports Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, State Insurance Marketplaces, Total Cost of Care Benchmark, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersBy Robin Lunge, JD, MHCDS Robin Lunge is a member of Vermont’s Green Mountain Care Board, which regulates health insurance rates, hospital budgets, and accountable care organizations. In this brief, she explores how the state’s transformation from a fee-for-service payment system to a value-based, multi-payer model designed to curb health care spending and improve care […]
Ohio Implements Value-Based Payment Reform to Improve Population Health
/in Policy Ohio Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, 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 Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersGreg Moody, director of Ohio’s Office of Health Transformation, has quietly spearheaded one of the most effective redesigns of a state health care payment system in the country, generating cost savings and improving public health by showing providers how the cost and quality of their care compares with their peers. This value-based cost-savings and quality improvement […]
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. 
Medicaid Agencies Cultivate Partnerships and Deploy Data to Bolster COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts
/in COVID-19 State Action Center Blogs, Featured News Home COVID-19, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Program Design, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, Special Populations and Services, Vaccines /by Christina CousartCOVID-19 vaccine distribution has accelerated across states as the Biden Administration updates its vaccine goal to 200 million doses by April 23, 2021 and many states are opening eligibility to all adults by early April. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently spoke with several state Medicaid officials to learn more about how […]