Medicaid Expansion
FEATURED ARTICLE
Three Approaches to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in State Departments of Corrections
/in Policy Kentucky, Maine, Pennsylvania Featured News Home, Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Jodi Manz and Eliza MetteAs drug overdose fatalities continue to rise and incarceration rates remain high nationwide despite recent declines, states are increasingly developing opportunities for incarcerated individuals to access evidence-based opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in state prison facilities. While the forced abstinence during incarceration can temporarily pause substance use itself, providing comprehensive treatment that includes medications for […]
With Federal Funding Fragmented, States Develop COVID-19 Testing Programs for the Uninsured
/in COVID-19 State Action Center Blogs, Featured News Home Consumer Affordability, COVID-19, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health /by Anita Cardwell and Trish RileyAs states loosen restrictions on stay-at-home orders, many are struggling to establish clear and consistent COVID-19 testing protocols to support individuals’ safe return to work and school and identify ways to pay for increased testing. Absent federal guidance, there is significant debate about who is responsible for funding testing – insurers argue a test must be medically necessary and employers […]
Support Grows for Congressional Action to Boost Medicaid Matching Funds to Help States
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, COVID-19, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health /by Trish RileyToday, a coalition of 20 national organizations representing consumers, health care providers, and health plans sent a letter to Congressional leaders supporting a recent National Governors Association’s request that they increase federal matching funds for Medicaid by 12 percent.
Early Evidence Suggests Increased Medicaid Enrollment Due to COVID-19
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home CHIP, COVID-19, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Gia GouldAs the COVID-19 public health emergency continues to destabilize the economy, more individuals are turning to their state Medicaid agencies for health coverage. To date, more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past 10 weeks, and with job losses many individuals will inevitably lose employer-based health coverage. Current projections show […]
Toolkit: Upstream Health Priorities for Governors
/in Policy Toolkits Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Housing and Health, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing, Workforce Capacity /by NASHP WritersGovernors can control costs, advance their priorities, and enhance lives by improving the social and economic conditions that make up 80 percent of the factors affecting their residents’ health. Governors are uniquely positioned to maximize state resources to address the conditions affecting health by leading cross-agency and public-private collaborations, leveraging siloed state resources, and advancing evidence-based health policy approaches.
States Act to Increase Medicaid/Marketplace Coverage to Insulate Consumers from COVID-19 Care Costs
/in COVID-19 State Action Center Blogs, Featured News Home Consumer Affordability, COVID-19, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces COVID-19 /by Christina CousartDuring this public health emergency, new federal laws (HR 6201, HR 748) are making significant steps to eliminate consumer cost-sharing for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, diagnosis, and prevention while states are working to increase insurance access and surprise billing protections. The recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act includes several provisions that expand the ability of Medicaid and the […]
Q&A: What States Should Know about the Medicaid FMAP Increase
/in COVID-19 State Action Center Blogs, Featured News Home CHIP, COVID-19, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion /by Anita CardwellTo help states address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides all states and territories with a temporary and retroactive 6.2 percentage-point increase in Medicaid’s federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) — which determines the federal government’s share of Medicaid expenditures. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) […]
States Use Federal Waivers to Expand Health Care Resources to Confront COVID-19
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces, Workforce Capacity /by NASHP StaffAcross the nation, states are responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic using flexibility permitted by federal waivers and maximizing their resources as they work collaboratively with municipalities, health plans, hospitals, and marketplaces to address the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic within their borders. The federal government has offered Medicaid waivers to give states critically-needed flexibility […]
How the Families First Coronavirus Response Act Affects State Medicaid Programs
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Workforce Capacity /by Anita CardwellLast week, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law to provide additional resources to help states address the effects of COVID-19. The law eliminates patient cost sharing for COVID-19 testing and related services in most forms of health coverage, it establishes an emergency paid leave program, extends sick leave benefits, and expands […]
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. 
Eligibility Levels for Pregnancy-Related Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP
/in Policy Featured News Home, Maps CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Anita CardwellEligibility Levels for Pregnancy-Related Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP