FEATURED ARTICLE
New Report Highlights Successful, Cross-Agency Strategies to Address Substance Use Disorder
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by NASHP WritersStates are realigning policies, funding, staffing, and data across agencies to better meet the needs of people living with or at risk of developing substance use disorder (SUD). In 2018, NASHP and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) convened a group of Medicaid and public health leaders to discuss state strategies for […]
States Use Policy Levers and Emerging Research to Address Antipsychotic Use in Children in Foster Care
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, EPSDT, 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, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Johanna Butler, Jennifer Reck and Maureen Hensley-QuinnState policymakers must often take action during an emerging crisis even when evidence identifying the best policy approach is not be available. This report, Evidence-Based Policymaking Is an Iterative Process: A Case Study of Antipsychotic Use among Children in the Foster Care System, explores successful state responses to dramatic increases in antipsychotic prescription rates in Medicaid-enrolled children […]
CMS Releases State Funding to Improve Integrated Care for Children and Pregnant and Postpartum Women Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, 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, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP WritersLast week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two highly anticipated initiatives — the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model and the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model — which will provide multi-year funding to states to improve integrated care for maternal and child health populations enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health […]
New Federal Initiatives Help States Expand Support for Children and Families Affected by Substance Use
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by Hannah EichnerIn the recent election, Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates offered strategies to address the opioid epidemic and meet the needs of children and families affected by substance use disorder (SUD). Incoming and incumbent executives will have new federal resources – including the new Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) and Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) models and […]
How States Use Medicaid Managed Care to Deliver Long-Term Services and Supports to Children with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Reports Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Kate Honsberger, Erin Kim and Karen VanLandeghemAn increasing number of state Medicaid agencies are using managed care to provide long-term services and supports to children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). This new NASHP issue brief explores the strategies and critical contract language and policies that states are using to implement these Medicaid managed care programs to provide long-term […]
Virginia’s BabyCare Program: Working to Improve Birth Outcomes through Medicaid
/in Policy Virginia Reports CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Megan LentNationally, Medicaid finances 45 percent of births and is a critical resource to improve maternal health and birth outcomes and lower avoidable costs. With an increasing number of initiatives focusing on pregnant and postpartum women, such as the federal Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model, states can learn from innovative programs, including Virginia’s BabyCare initiative. This […]
How States Provide Long-Term Services and Supports to Children in Medicaid Managed Care
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Kate Honsberger and Erin KimFor years, states have used managed care delivery systems to help control costs and improve health care and outcomes for adult Medicaid beneficiaries with complex health care needs. Now, more than a dozen states are using managed care to provide long-term services and supports (LTSS) to children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). […]
How States Use the National Standards for CYSHCN to Strengthen Medicaid Managed Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Arizona, District Of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Integrated Care for Children, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Hannah Eichner and Kate HonsbergerAbout this Fact Sheet The various state examples outlined here resulted from a 12-month learning collaborative facilitated by NASHP, in partnership with the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), with support from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health (LPFCH). NASHP and AMCHP convened the learning collaborative academy both virtually and in-person, providing […]
Strengthening Health Care Delivery Systems for Children with Special Health Care Needs and the Role of Quality Measurement
/in Policy Webinars Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care /by Hannah EichnerWednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 2-3 p.m. (EST) States are in the midst of rapid transformation of their health care delivery systems, including how they provide services to children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). As of June 2017, 47 states and Washington, DC, use some form of managed care to provide services to […]
Resources to Help States Improve Integrated Care for Children
/in Policy Toolkits Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Featured Policy Home, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP StaffIntegrating children’s care improves early identification and treatment of health issues that can improve children’s well-being and avoid costly medical, special education, foster care, and criminal justice expenses. This Issue Hub provides valuable resources for states interested in the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model and others working to implement payment, coverage, and cross-agency
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 […]