FEATURED ARTICLE
Through Coordination and Investment, Arizona Substantially Increases Access to School-Based Behavioral Health Services
/in COVID-19 State Action Center, Policy Arizona Blogs, Featured News Home Back to School, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, COVID-19, EPSDT, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Gia GouldBy leveraging federal Medicaid funding and state investment while simultaneously clarifying complex billing procedures and enhancing engagement with providers, Arizona has made remarkable progress in increasing student access to critical school-based behavioral health services. Arizona’s efforts to improve school behavioral health services began in 2018 when its state legislature allocated $3 million from the state’s […]
Michigan’s Caring for Students Program Leverages Medicaid Funding to Expand School Behavioral Health Services
/in Policy Michigan Blogs, Featured News Home Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Gia GouldDespite a federal rule change that allows states to bill Medicaid for school-based physical and behavioral health services provided to all Medicaid-enrolled students, many states struggle to overcome the persistent and complex billing challenges associated with receiving Medicaid reimbursement for delivery of these critical services. To access additional Medicaid funds to expand school-based behavioral health […]
State Approaches to Improve Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems
/in COVID-19 State Action Center Blogs, Featured News Home Back to School, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, COVID-19, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Relief and Recovery, Social Determinants of Health /by Olivia RandiThe COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of many children and adolescents and reduced students’ access to comprehensive school mental health systems (CSMHS) as schools shifted to remote learning. In recent years, states have implemented policies that have successfully expanded access to CSMHS. Lessons learned from these initiatives can help address students’ growing […]
Rhode Island’s Accountable Entities Emphasize Children’s Health and Social Needs
/in Policy Rhode Island Blogs, Featured News Home Chronic and Complex Populations, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Elinor HigginsIn the midst of the pandemic, many states are continuing to advance their health system transformation efforts. Rhode Island’s Medicaid Accountable Entities (AE) Program, for example, is shifting to a pay-for-performance model for several screening measures. Under this model, there is an additional financial incentive to screen children and their families for health and social […]
Implementing the Family First Prevention Services Act: What to Watch in 2021
/in Policy Blogs, Featured News Home Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Veronnica ThompsonEnacted in 2018, the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) significantly reformed the child welfare system and allowed states to use Title IV-E funds to reduce out-of-home placements for children and youth. When those placements are necessary, the FFPSA authorized specific types of allowable congregate settings, including qualified residential treatment programs (QRTPs).
Texas Improves Access to Routine Oral Health Services for Very Young Children
/in Policy Texas Child Oral Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Consumer Affordability, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Oral Health, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health /by Veronnica ThompsonThough largely preventable, tooth decay (caries) is the most common chronic disease in US children, affecting approximately 23 percent of children ages 2 to 5.[1],[2] Texas’s First Dental Home and its enhanced bundled payment has increased access to preventive dental service and improved the oral health of Medicaid-enrolled children ages 6 to 35 months. Providing […]
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. 
Through Coordination and Investment, Arizona Substantially Increases Access to School-Based Behavioral Health Services
/in COVID-19 State Action Center, Policy Arizona Blogs, Featured News Home Back to School, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, COVID-19, EPSDT, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Gia GouldBy leveraging federal Medicaid funding and state investment while simultaneously clarifying complex billing procedures and enhancing engagement with providers, Arizona has made remarkable progress in increasing student access to critical school-based behavioral health services. Arizona’s efforts to improve school behavioral health services began in 2018 when its state legislature allocated $3 million from the state’s […]