Blogs / Reports
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 […]
To Improve Health and Lower Costs, Oregon Gets Flexible
/in Policy Oregon Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersWhen it comes to keeping members healthy—not just treating them when they’re sick—the Oregon Health Authority knows it can pay to be flexible. Through its 1115 demonstration, Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) can pay for non-medical services that improve the health of their members while lowering costs. CCOs are local networks of Medicaid providers that […]
State Marketplaces’ Proof Is in their Performance at Congressional Oversight Hearing
/in Policy California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP and Alice WeissLast week, six state-based marketplace directors (CA, CT, HI, MA, MN, and OR) testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, where they faced tough questions on their marketplace performance, impact and future prospects. The hearing was notable for its intensive focus on operations, signaling a new emphasis […]
A Closer Look at the Oversight of State-based Marketplaces
/in Policy California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Oregon Reports Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHPThe 17 states, and the District of Columbia, electing to operate a State-based Marketplace (SBM) are subject to comprehensive oversight from a varied set of federal and state agencies, committees, and regulators. Ongoing reporting, site visits, and auditing spans the full range of SBM functions, including eligibility and enrollment, data security, consumer privacy, financial transactions, […]
Money Talks: How SIM Round 1 States Are Reducing Costs
/in Policy Massachusetts, Oregon Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP and Ledia TaborAs U.S. health care spending continues to grow every year, the State Innovation Model (SIM), a first-of-its-kind grant that provides a large federal investment to state-led health care reform, aims to address the Triple Aim to improve care, improve population health, and reduce health care costs. Since 2013, six Round 1 test states have been […]
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 […]
Oregon’s Bridge to Value-Based Payments for Community Health Centers: A Win for Medicaid, Providers, & Patients
/in Policy Oregon Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Mary Takach and Ledia TaborStates are developing new ways to pay Medicaid providers based on quality and efficiency over number of visits. However, these payment options can present challenges for states in integrating safety net providers into their efforts. In Oregon, Medicaid and the state’s Primary Care Association (PCA) have embarked on an alternative payment model that is breaking […]
New NASHP Learning Collaborative From Engagement to Evidence: Using PCOR and CER to Inform State Policymaking
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by NASHPRequest for Applications NASHP is excited to announce a new learning collaborative for states seeking to develop or enhance processes for evidence-based health policymaking with a specific focus on using patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER). This project, with support from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), will convene multi-agency teams […]
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