Social Determinants of Health
FEATURED ARTICLE
State Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Disease Crises Through Medicaid and Public Health Partnerships
/in Policy California, Florida, Texas Reports Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Tina KartikaProtecting public health in an era when infections can quickly spread from remote areas to major world cities requires creative and well-orchestrated responses from national, state, and local governments. One of the critical partnerships states can forge before, during, and after such crises is between public health and Medicaid. This report, supported by the Health […]
State Officials Work to Harness Medicaid as a Change Agent to Increase Immunization Rates
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Immunization, 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, Social Determinants of Health /by Megan Lent, Tina Kartika and Jill RosenthalDespite vaccines’ effectiveness in preventing infectious diseases and strong public funding for childhood immunizations, vaccination rates among children living in poverty remain stubbornly lower than for children living above poverty and who are privately insured. Recently, officials from several organizations, including the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), AcademyHealth, and the Colorado Children’s Immunization […]
Flurry of Bills Targeting the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Families Reach Congress
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Miara Handler and Carrie HanlonThe country’s opioid crisis has had a devastating effect on women, children, and families, and continues to strain state health, foster care, and social service agency budgets. A flurry of bills has recently been introduced in Congress to prevent or reduce the effects of the opioid crisis and many directly impact families and children. The […]
Health Services Initiative Gives States Unique Tools to Improve the Health of Low-Income Children
/in Policy Arkansas, Delaware 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, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Olivia BaconWith federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) assured through 2027, states can consider using a portion of their CHIP dollars to improve the health of low-income children through innovative Health Services Initiative (HSI). HSIs provide states with a mechanism to use CHIP administrative dollars to fund a range of activities beyond just […]
The Roadmap Ahead: New York’s Value-Based Payments Reward Communities and Providers for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health
/in Policy New York Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by Amy ClaryMedicaid payment models in many states are shifting away from rewarding providers for the quantity of care they provide to models that reward high-quality, coordinated care that addresses some of the broader social factors that influence health and well-being. One example is New York’s Value-Based Payment (VBP) Roadmap, which rewards Medicaid providers and community-based organizations […]
Oklahoma Uses Focus Groups to Identify Strategies to Better Serve Foster Care Youth
/in Policy Oklahoma 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, 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, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Anita Cardwell and Olivia BaconOklahoma uses focus groups to identify ways to improve treatment guidelines, communication, and medication monitoring for foster care youth enrolled in Medicaid. May is National Foster Care Month and for the fourth consecutive year the number of children in foster care nationwide has climbed, fueled in part by the opioid epidemic, according to the Adoption and […]
Ohio Implements Value-Based Payment Reform to Improve Population Health
/in Policy Ohio Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersGreg Moody, director of Ohio’s Office of Health Transformation, has quietly spearheaded one of the most effective redesigns of a state health care payment system in the country, generating cost savings and improving public health by showing providers how the cost and quality of their care compares with their peers. This value-based cost-savings and quality improvement […]
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 […]
Minnesota Accountable Community for Health Saves Medicaid $3.8 Million through Its Opioid Prevention Initiative
/in Policy Minnesota Blogs Accountable Health, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryMorrison County’s Accountable Community for Health Accomplishments: Tapered 453 patients off narcotic, stimulants, and benzodiazepine prescriptions, which resulted in 540,000 fewer doses; Saved Medicaid $3.8 million by reducing these drug prescriptions; and Reduced jail time from an average 17 days to less than one in 36 surveyed patients who received medication-assisted treatment (Suboxone). *CHI St. […]
NASHP State Leaders Meet to Reflect and Plan in a Changing Health Care Environment
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP WritersLast week, 24 National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) leaders, including state lawmakers and representatives from governors’, budget, and insurance offices, Medicaid and public health agencies, and insurance exchanges, CHIP and health policy commissions met in Washington, DC, to assess the issues and opportunities confronting state health policymakers. The robust discussion helps NASHP set […]
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. 
States’ COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declarations and Mask Requirements
/in COVID-19 State Action Center Charts, Featured News Home, Maps COVID-19, Featured Policy Home, Health Equity, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP Staff and Ella Roth