Community Benefit
FEATURED ARTICLE
Resources to Help States Fund Health-Related Social and Economic Needs
/in Policy Charts, Reports Accountable Health, Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Benefit, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Elinor Higgins and Amy ClaryFederal funding can help states improve housing, employment, and other life conditions for their vulnerable residents. This table highlights new programs, including public-private investment opportunities from the US Treasury, integrated care models from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, and recent federal initiatives to combat the opioid crisis. It also features key longstanding sources, […]
How 10 States Keep the ‘Community’ in Hospitals’ Community Health Needs Assessments
/in Policy Charts Blending and Braiding Funding, Community Benefit, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Hospital/Health System Oversight, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Elinor Higgins and Amy ClaryNon-profit hospitals are federally required to conduct community health needs assessments (CHNAs) every three years and develop a plan to meet those needs in exchange for their tax exempt status. Many states have laws or guidelines that are more detailed than the federal requirements. Scroll down to see 10 states’ guidelines for involving community members […]
How States Keep Community at the Center of Hospitals’ Community Health Needs Assessments
/in Policy Blogs Blending and Braiding Funding, Community Benefit, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Hospital/Health System Oversight, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryTax-exempt hospitals receive billions of dollars in tax exemptions each year. In exchange, they are required to invest in the health of their communities. But to do that, hospitals must first identify the health needs of the communities they serve. States can work to make sure hospitals truly seek out and act on meaningful input […]
Oregon’s Accountable Health Model Addresses Health Equity and Health-Related Needs: Four Lessons from CCO 2.0
/in Policy Oregon Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic and Complex Populations, Community Benefit, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryStates developing accountable health models often look to Oregon for inspiration. Oregon established its Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) in 2012, pursuant to a Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waiver. CCOs are local networks of all types of health care providers — including physical, behavioral, and oral health providers — that the state pays a global capitated […]
NASHP’s Health and Housing Institute Celebrates First Anniversary
/in Policy Blogs Community Benefit, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Malka BerroThis month, the five member states of the National Academy for State Health Policy’s (NASHP) Health and Housing Institute are marking their first anniversary of breaking down agency silos and advancing reforms to improve health and housing for vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, struggling with behavioral health or substance use disorders, or transitioning out […]
Lawrence, Massachusetts, Keeps the Community at the Center of Hospital Community Benefits
/in Policy Massachusetts Reports Accountable Health, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Benefit, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryLawrence, Massachusetts, a city that has struggled with poverty and poor health, is now a Culture of Health Prize winner due in part to state policies that bolster the city’s efforts to advance health equity and address social needs. These supportive state policies include guidelines governing the local hospital’s community health needs assessments, its community […]
States Work to Hold Hospitals Accountable for Community Benefits Spending
/in Policy Blogs Community Benefit, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Hospital/Health System Oversight, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersHospitals get billions in tax breaks and in return they’re supposed to invest in community health. How can state policymakers ensure that money is spent on the right issues to support state health goals? Nonprofit hospitals benefited from at least $24.6 billion in tax exemptions in 2011, according to a 2015 analysis that used the most […]
State Strategies to Address Rising Prices Caused by Health Care Consolidations
/in Policy Annual Conference, Reports Community Benefit, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Erin Fuse Brown, JD, MPHForeward by Trish Riley, NASHP Executive Director The debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the stability of the individual health insurance markets masks a bigger issue–the underlying cost of health care. From NASHP’s Center for State Rx Drug Pricing to our work on value-based purchasing and alternative payment methods, we support states […]
Improving Health through Housing: Three Tips For State Policymakers
/in Policy Blogs Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Benefit, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersState and federal policymakers increasingly acknowledge that health is difficult to achieve and maintain for people without a stable home. Numerous studies show that housing and housing supports can help vulnerable populations improve and maintain health while lowering hospital and other costs for state and local governments. Addressing health and housing can also further state […]
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. 
Resources to Help States Maximize their Hospitals’ Community Benefit Investments
/in Policy Featured News Home, Toolkits Community Benefit, Consumer Affordability, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Hospital/Health System Oversight, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health Community Benefit /by Elinor HigginsTo make sure hospitals’ community benefit investments address community and state health goals, many states are working to ensure that hospitals are held accountable and their investments truly improve community health and advance equity. In return for their tax exemptions, every three years nonprofit hospitals perform community health needs assessments (CHNA) and make investments to address the […]