Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health
FEATURED ARTICLE
Keeping a Focus on Children During Open Enrollment
/in Policy Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Lesa RairThe Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) third annual open enrollment period kicked off November 1st and continues through January 31, 2016. During this time, individuals can enroll or renew coverage in qualified health plans through state and federal exchanges. The ACA’s open enrollment period is a great time to focus on reaching and enrolling children as […]
Top 5 Themes We Saw Emerge From #NASHPCONF15
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHPState health policy leaders from all 50 states and the District of Columbia converged in Dallas for our largest-ever annual conference. Packed sessions and hallway conversations had the place abuzz with ideas and challenges as states move ahead with system-changing reforms. Without the brainpower of our members and attendees identifying key issues and best practices […]
State Strategies for Defining Medical Necessity for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Reports 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, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by NASHP and Barbara WirthMedicaid programs nationwide are mandated to use the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit to improve the health of low-income children with special physical, emotional, and developmental health care needs. This benefit supports children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) by ensuring they receive individualized health care when they need it—provided those services are deemed medically […]
Integrating Maternal and Child Health Data Systems
/in Policy Reports Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by NASHPWhat happens when state health programs use separate data systems to serve the same population, such as mothers and children? State policymakers know that when those data systems do not “talk” to one another, states may waste resources on duplicative data entry and system maintenance; providers and state agencies may struggle to access information important […]
Ensuring Bright Futures for Our Nation’s Children: Health Plan Strategies for Improving Pediatric Preventive Care
/in Policy Webinars CHIP, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHPEach year millions of children miss immunizations, screenings and well visits despite the lifelong benefits of preventive care in childhood. The Affordable Care Act expands coverage of all preventive services recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in the Bright Futures guidelines. Yet a recent survey found that 57 percent of families are still unaware that these benefits are available free of charge through their health plans. This webinar explores private and public health plan strategies for improving parental education on preventive care and supporting and encouraging providers in ensuring their young patients receive recommended preventive services.
Sharing Information Across Physical and Behavioral Health – Debunking Myths, Developing Strategies
/in Policy Webinars Chronic and Complex Populations, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by NASHPIntegrating physical and mental health services requires that personal health information is shared appropriately across various settings in order to promote care coordination and better outcomes. In their efforts to support physical and mental health integration, state policymakers can sometimes face barriers to this flow of information due to federal and state laws, provider culture, technical roadblocks, and other factors. This webinar provides a brief overview by Karla Lopez from the Legal Action Center of the federal statutory framework, specifically in the context of integrating physical and behavioral health care.
Using the Bright Futures Guidelines to Promote Preventive Care for Children
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by NASHPStates have made great strides in enrolling and retaining children in health coverage over the past several years. However, once enrolled, children do not always access screenings and preventive services. A missed well-child visit or a skipped developmental screening can result in undiagnosed and untreated medical issues that when discovered can be costly to treat. […]
Enhancing Oral Health Access Through Safety Net Partnerships: A Primer and Resource Guide for Medicaid Agencies
/in Policy Reports Child Oral Health, CHIP, CHIP, Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Oral Health /by NASHP and Chiara CorsoThe safety net provides crucial access points for vulnerable and low-income populations in need of dental services, including Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees; however, large unmet need for dental services persists among these populations. Not only would increased access to dental services benefit patients, but also the opportunity to provide more preventive […]
Promising Practices in Reaching, Enrolling, and Retaining Children in Coverage During Early ACA Implementation
/in Policy Reports CHIP, CHIP, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHPThis brief shares strategies for finding, enrolling, and retaining children in health coverage, which other states can implement relatively quickly and inexpensively. Many of these promising practices are the direct result of the strong working relationships between state officials and advocates and coalesce around several themes: Targeting outreach efforts to specific populations. Engaging and educating […]
Managed Care Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
/in Policy Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by NASHPOn May 26, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) that, once adopted as final regulation, represents the first major update to the rules governing Medicaid managed care since 2002. Since this time, Medicaid managed care has expanded in both scope and nature, with a considerable […]
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. 
Medicaid Reimbursement of Midwifery Services in Minnesota and Washington State Supports Diverse Pathways to Care
/in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Policy Minnesota, Washington Blogs, Featured News Home Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by Anoosha Hasan and Emily Creveling