Safety Net Providers and Rural Health
FEATURED ARTICLE
State Health Policymakers Look to Washington and Each Other to Fight the Opioid Epidemic
/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 Equity, Healthy Child Development, 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, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Lyndsay Sanborn and Kitty PuringtonIn the last two weeks, there has been a flurry of federal and state activity focused on the nation’s opioid epidemic that currently kills more Americans than guns or car accidents. In Washington, the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis released its final report featuring 56 recommendations to stem opioid and […]
Engaging Stakeholders in FQHC Value-Based Alternative Payment Methodologies
/in Policy Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP StaffThe National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) designed this toolkit to support states interested in developing a value-based alternative payment methodology (APM) for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). The following section on stakeholder engagement discusses key considerations and promising strategies based on lessons learned from states during NASHP’s Value-Based Payment Reform Academy. Key considerations […]
State Medicaid Agencies Venture into Value-Based Purchasing with Federally Qualified Health Centers
/in Policy Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Rachel DonlonState Medicaid agencies have generally found it challenging to include federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in value-based purchasing initiatives because of a federal law passed in 2000 that regulates how state Medicaid programs pay FQHCs for the care they provide. State Medicaid agencies are required to reimburse FQHCs through the Prospective Payment System (PPS), a […]
Facing Budget Uncertainties, States Seek New Opportunities to Fund Successful Home Visiting Programs
/in Policy Minnesota, New York, Virginia Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Becky Normile and Karen VanLandeghemStates have a long history of using home visiting programs to deliver cost-effective interventions to vulnerable children and families, and recent federal investments have been instrumental in the expansion of evidence-based home visiting programs across the United States. Due to budget uncertainties at the state and federal level, states are exploring opportunities to maximize investments […]
Webinar: Value-Based Alternative Payment Methodologies for Federally Qualified Health Centers: Lessons from Colorado and Minnesota
/in Policy Webinars Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Hannah Dorr and Rachel DonlonStrategies to Strengthen Health and Housing Partnerships Through Medicaid to Improve Health Care for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Hannah Dorr and Charles TownleyIndividuals experiencing homelessness are disproportionately impacted by chronic medical and behavioral health conditions, and many of these individuals lack health insurance or a usual source of care. State Medicaid agencies and safety net providers are important partners in meeting the medical, behavioral health, and social service needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness. In this […]
New Report Shows Increase in ED Utilizations for Behavioral Health – What States Can Do
/in Policy Delaware, Oregon, Washington Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, 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, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Jenna BluesteinThe Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released an eye-opening study this past week, indicating that utilization of emergency department (ED) services due to behavioral health conditions increased sharply from 2006 to 2013. The brief “Trends in Emergency Department Visits Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders,” highlights a 52 percent increase in ED utilization […]
21st Century Cures Act: Implications and Opportunities for States
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Jenna BluesteinThe 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures”), signed into law on December 13, 2016, is being heralded as landmark legislation for biomedical innovation. Cures funds new research, streamlines the development of new drugs, and supports the inter-operability of health information systems. State policymakers, however, may want to focus their attention on Cures’ myriad behavioral health provisions, […]
State Financing and Delivery Innovations to Address Disparities in Uncontrolled Childhood Asthma
/in Policy Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Taylor Kniffin and Felicia HeiderThe high prevalence of uncontrolled asthma among child populations served by Medicaid programs and the associated rising costs often are the impetus for states to improve the quality of care provided to children with asthma. New opportunities to comprehensively address asthma and its triggers are emerging through state and national health care delivery system and […]
Growing Number of States Enacting Laws to Combat the Heroin and Opioid Crisis
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP StaffSince the beginning of 2016, several states have passed legislation aimed at curbing the opioid and heroin epidemic. NASHP has been following this legislation closely and has developed a series of blogs outlining major provisions within the laws. Rhode Island Becomes the Latest State to Pass Opioid Legislation in 2016 New York Joins State-Led Fight to Combat Opioid […]
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. 
Medicare’s New Rural Emergency Hospital Designation — Considerations for States
/in Health Coverage and Access, Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Rebekah Falkner and Sam Mermin