FEATURED ARTICLE
NASHP Identifies State Strategies to Address Mental Health and Education Inequities
/in Policy Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Minnesota, Ohio Blogs Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, 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, Social Determinants of Health /by Najeia MentionState policymakers increasingly recognize the need to address the social determinants of health — housing, employment, education, and income — to reduce health care costs and improve population health. Educational attainment, for example, provides dividends for overall health. People with higher levels of education generally live longer and experience healthier lives. The quality of education […]
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 […]
CHIP and Medicaid are Essential Partners for Cross Agency Collaboration to Better Serve Children
/in Policy Massachusetts Blogs Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, 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, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Quality and Measurement /by Olivia BaconIncreasingly states are focused on the critical role social determinants play in health, and public coverage programs play a key role in this focus. For more than 20 years, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has worked in coordination with state Medicaid programs to serve the health needs of low-income children. States are leveraging Medicaid […]
Physical and Behavioral Health Integration: State Policy Approaches to Support Key Infrastructure
/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 System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Kitty Purington and Charles TownleyThrough the State Innovation Model initiative, health home state plan option, and other Medicaid authorities, states have made significant investments to develop and implement payment and delivery system reforms that better integrate the physical and behavioral health systems. Rather than adopting specific integrated care models, states may benefit from taking a broader approach that builds […]
Delaware and Georgia Use Innovative Strategies to Promote Women’s Health in Medicaid
/in Policy Delaware, Georgia Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Liz McCamanUnplanned pregnancies present a challenge for many women, their families and communities, and are associated with a number of costly health outcomes, including delayed prenatal care, premature birth and low birth weight. Federal initiatives like the Collaborative Improvement & Innovation Network to Reduce Infant Mortality (IM CoIIN) have helped to engage state leaders in efforts […]
Strengthening the Title V-Medicaid Partnership: Strategies to Support the Development of Robust Interagency Agreements between Title V and Medicaid
/in Policy CHIP, CHIP, 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, Population Health /by Karen VanLandeghem and Barbara WirthStrengthening the Title V-Medicaid Partnership outlines several strategies for Title V programs to consider when approaching the review of their interagency agreements with their state Medicaid programs. Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), this technical assistance document offers guidance on how Title V programs […]
Children’s Health Insurance Resources
/in Policy CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health /by NASHPThrough Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), states and the nation have made substantial progress in covering children and improving their access to quality health care supporting healthy growth and development. With ongoing funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, NASHP has supported, analyzed, and reported on state efforts to extend children’s […]
Case Study: How Minnesota Uses Medicaid Levers to Address Maternal Depression and Improve Healthy Child Development
/in Policy Minnesota Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP WritersDespite evidence that maternal depression is quite common and can negatively impact young children’s development, it is often undiagnosed and untreated. Since the rate of maternal depression is disproportionately higher in low-income women, Medicaid can play a leading role in identifying at-risk mothers and connecting them to treatment. With support from the David and Lucile […]
CMS Seeks Input on State Innovations in Pediatric Alternative Payment Models
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP StaffHealth care delivery system innovations in Medicaid have primarily focused on adult populations as states seek to improve the quality of care and control costs for beneficiaries with chronic and complex health care needs. Many innovations in child-serving systems have been integrated into broader state reforms for adults and through Centers for Medicaid and Medicare […]
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 […]