Health Coverage and Access
FEATURED ARTICLE
Flurry of Bills Targeting the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Families Reach Congress
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Miara Handler and Carrie HanlonThe country’s opioid crisis has had a devastating effect on women, children, and families, and continues to strain state health, foster care, and social service agency budgets. A flurry of bills has recently been introduced in Congress to prevent or reduce the effects of the opioid crisis and many directly impact families and children. The […]
Voters in Several States Will Decide Whether to Expand Medicaid this Fall
/in Policy Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Chris KukkaVoters in several states will decide whether to expand Medicaid – or preserve their expanded coverage — when they go to the polls this November. Medicaid expansion will be on Utah’s ballot, and is expected to be presented to Idaho and Nebraska voters this fall if enough signatures are collected. Montana’s Medicaid expansion is scheduled […]
How State Medicaid and Title V Partnerships Improve Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs in Medicaid Managed Care
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Hannah Eichner and Kate HonsbergerStates are increasingly utilizing Medicaid managed care (MMC) to serve children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), who often require a complex array of services. Many states are finding that forging partnerships between their MMC systems and Title V CYSHCN programs improves care coordination, transitions from pediatric to adult care systems, quality of […]
NASHP’s State SUD Policy Institute Supports States to Address SUD in Federally Qualified Health Centers
/in Policy Alabama, Illinois, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin 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 System Costs, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP WritersNASHP congratulates the five states selected to participate in NASHP’s State Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Policy Institute: Alabama Illinois South Dakota Virginia Wisconsin The State SUD Policy Institute, supported by a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration, will assist these five state teams to develop innovative strategies to increase access to and […]
Learn the Latest about States’ Medicaid Work Requirement Proposals
/in Policy Blogs Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Work Requirements /by Anita CardwellMore than 30 states have proposed or are implementing work requirements, in some cases to enable Medicaid expansion. Read an update about state efforts and a recent federal court ruling on Kentucky’s waiver application. Since January, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would allow states to require certain enrollees to […]
Washington’s Medicaid Chief Examines the Future of Medicaid and Health Reforms
/in Policy Washington Blogs Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersMaryAnne Lindeblad oversees Washington State’s Apple Health (Medicaid) program, which serves more than 1.8 million residents. She also chairs the National Academy for State Health Policy’s executive committee and is a National Association of Medicaid Directors board member. Lindeblad took time recently to talk to NASHP about the future of Medicaid and health care reform. […]
The New Association Health Plan Rule: What Are the Issues and Options for States
/in Policy Blogs Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffLast week, the Department of Labor released its final rule regulating association health plans (AHPs). The rule is part of the Trump Administration’s multi-pronged strategy to revise regulations governing AHPs, short-term insurance, and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) to promote health care competition and choice. The rule is expected to reshape state insurance markets and […]
State Strategies to Advance Medical Homes for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP StaffMedical homes are critical components of comprehensive care systems for children and youth with special health needs (CYSHCN). They can reduce costs and improve outcomes and care experiences for CYSHCN and their families. This new report, State Strategies to Advance Medical Homes for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, examines effective strategies used […]
Health Services Initiative Gives States Unique Tools to Improve the Health of Low-Income Children
/in Policy Arkansas, Delaware Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Olivia BaconWith federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) assured through 2027, states can consider using a portion of their CHIP dollars to improve the health of low-income children through innovative Health Services Initiative (HSI). HSIs provide states with a mechanism to use CHIP administrative dollars to fund a range of activities beyond just […]
How States Can Improve Access to Care for Children Under the Medicaid Managed Care Rule
/in Policy Colorado, Virginia Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Kate HonsbergerNext month, states face new federal requirements for establishing and maintaining Medicaid managed care provider networks. As they work to comply with these new rules, states have an opportunity to strengthen access to care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Medicaid and requirements, which address how enrollees access care and 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. 
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