Health Coverage and Access
FEATURED ARTICLE
Examining a Major Policy Shift: New Federal Limits on Medicaid Coverage for Children
/in Policy Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by NASHPThis State Health Policy Briefing explores recent decisions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which have serious implications for states striving to expand health coverage for children. Download available here. While Congress was debating the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 2007, CMS issued a directive and other […]
A Medicaid Primer for Juvenile Justice Officials
/in Policy Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPJuvenile justice agencies face a significant challenge meeting the health needs of the youth in their systems. Medicaid, which provides health coverage to more than half of all low-income children in this country, can be a vital partner in juvenile justice reform efforts. However, coordination between juvenile justice systems and state Medicaid programs can be […]
Medicaid and Title IV-E funding in the ARRA 2009
/in Policy Health Coverage and Access /by NASHP StaffNASHP would like to share a fact sheet we received from CMS providing guidance on increased Medicaid and Title IV-E funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is committed to helping to promote economic recovery through our implementation of the American Recovery and […]
State Health Reform: How Do Dental Benefits Fit In? Options for Policy Makers
/in Policy Reports Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPThis paper discusses the options that states have to include dental benefits in a health care reform plan, if the state desires to do so. Oral health resides, for all intents and purposes, in a different world from general health. Dental care is separate in financing and insurance; provider education, licensing, and regulation; and service […]
Covering All Children: Issues and Experience in State Policy Development
/in Policy Reports Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPThis State Health Policy Briefing describes some of the most common strategies states use to achieve universal children’s coverage, including expanding public programs and creating other opportunities for families with uninsured children, such as through buy-in programs and premium assistance programs. It is based primarily on interviews conducted with senior administrators from eight state Medicaid […]
Improving Access to Health Coverage for Transitional Youth
/in Policy Reports Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPYouth in the juvenile justice and foster care systems often share many traits: a history of abuse or neglect, mental health and substance abuse needs, low incomes, and likely eligibility for public insurance programs. For both populations, custody transitions provide an opportunity to screen youth for Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) eligibility. […]
New Opportunities and Continuing Challenges: A Report from the NASHP EPSDT Forum
/in Policy Reports Chronic and Complex Populations, Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPEarly access to high-quality child health care and development programs builds a foundation that ensures each child the optimum chance to grow strong physically, emotionally, and socially. Medicaid, the primary insurer for more than a quarter of all children in the United States, is the critical link to building this foundation for poor and low-income […]
State Efforts to Cover Low-Income Adults Without Children
/in Policy Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPMost Americans assume that our health insurance safety net covers the poor, regardless of family status. In reality, a majority of uninsured Americans are low-income, childless adults who are not eligible for public health insurance programs. Out of the approximately 47 million people who are currently uninsured in the United States, 34 percent or 16 […]
Increasing Access to Dental Care in Medicaid: Targeted Programs for Four Populations
/in Policy Reports Health Coverage and Access /by NASHPPoor access to oral health care and low utilization of oral health services by publicly insured people have been persistent problems that states and their Medicaid programs have grappled with for decades. However, there are groups of Medicaid enrollees – such as young children, pregnant women, people with developmental disabilities, and people living in rural […]
Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women
/in Policy Health Coverage and Access /by NASHP StaffEarly prenatal care plays a critical role in the health of pregnant women and their babies. Access to early prenatal care can lead to better birth outcomes, healthier babies, and reduced health care costs. Presumptive eligibility in Medicaid has become an important strategy for improving access to prenatal care for low-income pregnant women. Presumptive eligibility […]
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