Safety Net Providers and Rural Health
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New York Joins State-Led Fight to Combat Opioid Crisis, Passes New Legislation
/in Policy New York Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Charles TownleyOn June 22, 2016, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a package of seven bills related to opioids and treatment for opioid addiction. The legislation, which includes recommendations from the governor’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force, is aimed at combatting the heroin and opioid crisis affecting the state. The state’s FY2017 budget includes nearly $200 […]
Pooling and Braiding Funds for Health-Related Social Needs: Lessons from Virginia’s Children’s Services Act
/in Policy Virginia Reports Blending and Braiding Funding, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersLow-income and at-risk populations often need services and supports outside the scope of a single state agency in order to live productive, healthy lives. State health policymakers seeking to combine funding streams to meet health-related social needs could benefit from learning about Virginia’s long-term experience pooling funds to meet the needs of at-risk youth and families through its […]
Enhancing Care Quality for Medicaid Beneficiaries Living with HIV/AIDS: New NASHP Case Studies
/in Policy New York, Wisconsin 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, HIV/AIDS, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Chiara Corso and Rachel DonlonNASHP has written two case studies for HealthHIV’s Three D HIV Prevention Program, which is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and provides technical assistance to better inform programmatic decisions impacting the delivery of quality HIV prevention and treatment services: New York’s experience implementing performance metrics for the HIV/AIDS population in its Medicaid managed […]
The Kentucky ‘Wrap’: Decreasing Administrative Costs for Medicaid and FQHCs in MCO Payment Reconciliation
/in Policy Kentucky Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Lesa RairStates that have implemented managed care in their Medicaid programs face the complex and time consuming task of reconciling managed care payments to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to ensure they are at, or above, their Prospective Payment System (PPS) rates. Several senior Medicaid officials raised this issue during a recent NASHP meeting on the […]
Improving Behavioral Health Access & Integration Using Telehealth & Teleconsultation: A Health Care System for the 21st Century
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by Lesa RairIndividuals with medical and behavioral health comorbidities often receive fragmented care, resulting in higher costs and poorer outcomes. States, the federal government, and providers have all made significant investments to build and expand evidence-based integration models, such as the collaborative care model, to reduce fragmentation and improve care. However, workforce shortages and limited resources may hinder […]
Health Centers’ Role in Affordable Care Act Outreach and Enrollment: Experience from Kentucky and Montana
/in Policy Kentucky, Montana Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP, Najeia Mention and Alice WeissThe Affordable Care Act created new opportunities for health centers and primary care associations (PCA) to play a leading role in supporting outreach and enrollment into new and expanded health coverage programs. Health centers and PCAs received new funding, sometimes from multiple state and federal entities, new training and tools, and a new mandate to find and […]
A Conversation with State Officials on Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage
/in Policy Colorado, Iowa, Washington Webinars Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Oral Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by NASHPOral health is an important part of overall health, however, access to dental coverage for low-income adults remains a challenge, particularly since these benefits are optional for state Medicaid programs. In this webinar, Medicaid officials from Colorado, Iowa, and Washington—three states that have recently taken action on their adult dental benefits—will share insights on important factors in the decision to add, reinstate, or introduce adult dental benefits; how adult dental benefits fits into the larger health reform discussion in each state; successes and challenges each state has faced since implementation; and future policy considerations.
Adult Dental Benefits in Medicaid: Recent Experiences from Seven States
/in Policy Reports Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Oral Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by NASHP and Keerti KanchinadamOral health is an important part of overall health, however, access to dental coverage for low-income adults remains a challenge, particularly since these benefits are optional for state Medicaid programs. This brief summarizes policy lessons from seven states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington) that have recently added, reinstated, or enhanced their Medicaid […]
States Use Technology to Go the Distance for Rural Populations
/in Policy Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP and Kaitlin SheedyStates with large rural populations face unique challenges in ensuring access to care. While approximately 16 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural America, only about 11 percent of physicians practice in rural locations. Additionally, individuals in rural areas face long travel distances to see primary care providers and specialists. Many states are using […]
Cross-Systems Collaboration: Working Together to Identify and Support Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Webinars Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHPTuesday, March 3, 2015: Multiple state agencies and organizations are working to identify and support children with special physical, emotional and developmental disabilities. Coordination and collaboration across systems, including the sharing of data, increases the ability for states to identify children at risk and ensure they are receiving the appropriate health, mental health and developmental services. This webinar features three states discussing collaborations across state programs that impact the identification and treatment of children in need of specific services.
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