Health Coverage and Access
FEATURED ARTICLE
Resources to Help States Improve Integrated Care for Pregnant and Parenting Women
/in Policy Toolkits Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by NASHP StaffRural Health Clinics
/in Policy Reports Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP StaffDownload this report. Rural health clinics (RHCs) were established through the Rural Health Clinic Services Act of 1977[i] in order to improve access to non-physician practitioners, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, in rural areas that lacked an adequate supply of physicians. Today, there are approximately 4,100 RHCs[ii] in 44 states.[iii] To be eligible […]
State-based Marketplace Leaders Share their Success and Growth with Federal Leaders
/in Policy Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Trish Riley and Christina CousartState-based marketplace (SBM) leaders convened in Washington, DC last week to share experiences and ideas and meet with key Congressional staff in advance of this year’s open enrollment period. SBMs, which exercise total control over their health insurance marketplaces in contrast to states that use the federal marketplace, are making considerable progress in reaching and […]
Multiple Factors Appear to Be Contributing to Children’s Rising Uninsured Rates
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces, Work Requirements /by Maureen Hensley-QuinnUS Census Bureau data released this past week revealed 8.5 percent (27.5 million people) did not have health coverage at any point during 2018 – an increase from 7.9 percent (25.6 million people) in 2017. The latest census data also affirmed fears raised after reports of declining child enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health […]
Minnesota and Indiana Governors Work to Improve Social Equity and Health in Every Zip Code
/in Policy Indiana, Minnesota Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Housing and Health, Infant Mortality, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health /by Elinor HigginsIn their 2019 state of the state speeches, 13 governors addressed social equity, acknowledging that reducing inequities and improving opportunities for all residents improves lives and health outcomes. Two of them — Indiana and Minnesota – offer examples of how states are orchestrating their legislative and administrative efforts to reduce health disparities and promote social […]
Toolkit: State Strategies to Support Older Adults Aging in Place in Rural Areas
/in Policy Toolkits Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Housing and Health, Long-Term Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Neva Kaye and Kristina LongThis toolkit highlights state initiatives to help older rural adults age in place by increasing services that help people remain in their homes, expanding and professionalizing the caregiver workforce, improving transportation access and services, and making delivery system reforms within Medicaid programs. Download the toolkit. Introduction Rural areas across the nation have higher concentrations of […]
State Officials Fear Final Public Charge Rule Could Deter Health Coverage Enrollment
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Maureen Hensley-Quinn and Anita CardwellThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently finalized a rule that significantly changes immigration policies related to “public charge” determinations. Under long-established US immigration policies, individuals who are deemed likely to become a “public charge” and require extensive government support can be denied an adjustment of their immigration status (e.g., issued a green card) or […]
State Medicaid Levers to Promote Immunization: California’s Experience
/in Policy California Reports CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Immunization, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Rebecca CooperVaccines are a powerful and cost-effective tool to prevent diseases and save lives. Once common, deadly diseases such as polio, measles, and mumps are preventable and smallpox no longer exists outside of a laboratory. According to research estimates, of 4.3 million infants born in the United States in 2009, vaccines will prevent 40,000 deaths and […]
Montana Uses Patient-Centered Medical Homes to Holistically Address Children’s Health Needs
/in Policy Montana Blogs Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Emma WatsonMontana recently expanded its Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program benefits to most children enrolled in Medicaid and the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Montana enhanced its PCMH program by: Expanding the pool of approved providers; Increasing the number of quality measures that must be tracked; and Adding complex care management (CCM) – a coordinated […]
Q&A: How Medicaid Expansion Put Naloxone in the Hands of the People Who Needed It Most
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP StaffMedicaid expansion, which took effect as the opioid epidemic ballooned, provided insurance coverage to people at highest risk of opioid use disorder (OUD) – lower-income, younger adults. Because Medicaid covers the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, the expansion gave Harvard Medical School professor Richard Frank an opportunity to compare how Medicaid expansion impacted naloxone prescribing in expansion […]
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. 
Rhode Island Looks to Auto-Enrollment to Ease Transitions from Medicaid to Marketplace
/in Health Coverage and Access, Policy Rhode Island Blogs, Featured News Home State Insurance Marketplaces /by Gia Gould and Maureen Hensley-Quinn