Overview: How the President’s Proposed FFY 2019 Budget Impacts Critical State Health Programs
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Infant Mortality, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffOn Monday, the Office of Management and Budget released the president’s FFY 2019 budget request that proposes $68.4 billion for health programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – which is $17.9 billion less than 2017 funding levels. The budget proposal included an addendum designed to align the proposed White […]
State Medicaid Payment Reform Strategies Promote Improved Birth Outcomes
/in Policy Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Value-Based Purchasing /by Derica Smith and Carrie HanlonImproving birth outcomes, including reducing infant mortality, is a priority for state Medicaid agencies that finance nearly half of all births each year. Three states have proven to be creative and effective laboratories in developing initiatives that use Medicaid payment and delivery reform strategies to lower costs, improve access to postpartum care, reward high-quality care, […]
Wisconsin and Oklahoma Case Studies Show Marked Maternal Health Care Improvements
/in Policy Oklahoma, Wisconsin Reports Health Coverage and Access, 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 /by Anisha Agrawal and Derica SmithState Medicaid agencies, which fund half of all births in the United States, are increasingly looking for ways to improve birth outcomes and maternal health while reducing costs by improving medical care and avoiding medically unnecessary cesarean sections. Two case studies from Wisconsin and Oklahoma show how these states successfully improved health care access and quality by […]
Highlighting State Medicaid Performance Measures, Improvement Projects, & Incentives To Promote Improvement in Women’s Health Services and Perinatal Outcomes
/in Policy Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Anisha Agrawal and Derica SmithPoor birth outcomes, such as pre-term birth, carry substantial human and financial costs and are generally influenced by women’s health and socioeconomic factors such as race, ethnicity, income, health care access, and education. According to the Institute of Medicine, the cost associated with pre-term birth in the U.S. is $26.2 billion each year, with Medicaid […]
State Medicaid Quality Measurement Activities for Women’s Health
/in Policy CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Anisha Agrawal*Maps and Chart updated as of November 3, 2017* State Medicaid agencies provide a variety of health services to women that promote overall health and well-being and support improved birth outcomes, such as reduction in infant mortality rates. States have the option of implementing performance measurement, incentives or improvement projects, including as part of broad […]
Medicaid Funding Opportunities in Support of Perinatal Regionalization Systems
/in Policy California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina Blogs CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health /by Alexandra KingPreterm birth, which accounts for approximately 11.5 percent of all births and 50 percent of pregnancy-related costs, is the largest cause of infant morbidity and mortality. This creates a significant burden on the U.S. healthcare system. A leading strategy for decreasing infant morbidity and mortality related to preterm birth is for states to use perinatal […]
Selected State Initiatives on Medicaid Financing of Perinatal Regionalization
/in Policy California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina Charts Health Coverage and Access, 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 /by Alexandra KingToday, nearly 40 states have a system of risk appropriate perinatal care. As the payer for nearly half of all births nationwide, Medicaid is a key partner in the financing of perinatal regionalization. Medicaid covers specific services that can maximize access to risk-appropriate care for mothers and infants, including the coverage of pre- and post-natal […]
From A to Zika: Three Tips from State Health Policymakers on Infectious Disease Crisis Preparedness and Response
/in Policy Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas Annual Conference, Blogs Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryHigh-profile diseases such as Ebola and Zika grab headlines, but state health policymakers know that emergency preparedness begins long before the first news stories — or symptoms — appear. Preparedness and response often includes cross-sector work that addresses the intersections between public health infectious disease strategy and state Medicaid and emergency management policies. At the […]
A Labor of Love: State Policies and Partnerships to Lower Infant Mortality
/in Policy Colorado, Indiana, South Carolina Annual Conference, Blogs CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Lesa Rair and Jill RosenthalState agencies across the country, from Medicaid to public health, to social services and corrections, are deeply engaged in multi-sector initiatives to reduce infant mortality. And for good reason — the United States ranks 25th among industrialized countries in infant mortality with a disproportionate number of being African Americans. Despite the gravity of the problem, […]
CHIP Coverage is Important for Pregnant Women Too
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by NASHP WritersWhile the importance of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for children has been widely documented, it is also important to remember that states can and many do use CHIP to provide coverage to low-and moderate-income pregnant women. With federal-funding for CHIP due to run out by the end of this federal fiscal year (September […]
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. 
Improving Birthing Outcomes through Midwifery Care: New Mexico
/in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Policy New Mexico Blogs, Featured News Home Health Equity, Infant Mortality, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by Veronnica Thompson