Blogs / Reports
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NASHP Partners with Mathematica to Strengthen State Rx Transparency Laws
/in Policy Blogs Prescription Drug Pricing /by NASHP WritersThe National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is partnering with Mathematica Policy Research to help states increase transparency and accountability to address rising prescription drug prices. This state-directed partnership will support the alignment of data collection and enable cross-state analyses. Currently, California, Oregon, Nevada, Connecticut, and Vermont require manufacturers to report on price increases […]
States Add Coverage Mandates to Cover Infertility Treatment following Cancer Treatments
/in Policy Blogs Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Joyce Reinecke, JD, Alliance for Fertility Preservation executive director and Oncofertility Consortium founderUnder the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individual and small group plans must cover essential health benefits, such as pre-existing conditions. However, states can go beyond the ACA’s requirements and mandate coverage for other conditions, such as infertility or autism, though they must cover those additional costs. A new wave of state mandates have expanded what […]
States Utilize Cross-Agency Resources to Address Health Care Workforce Shortages
/in Policy Alaska, Indiana Reports Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Workforce Capacity /by Natalie Williams and Kitty PuringtonThe National Academy for State Health Policy examined how Indiana and Alaska leverage their resources and build new partnerships to implement innovative, cross-agency approaches to bolster their health care workforces. These case studies explore: Cross-agency coalitions that develop and implement innovative workforce strategies; Opportunities to use data to identify and address workforce shortages; Strategies to […]
New NASHP Tool Identifies Key Quality Measures for Children with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Blogs 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, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Hannah Eichner and Kate HonsbergerQuality measurement is a critical component of state health programs, including Medicaid and State Title V CYSHCN programs that serve children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). While quality measurement for children continues to lag behind that of adults, quality measurement efforts for children overall, and CYSHCN in particular, are gaining greater traction […]
2018 Elections and State Health Policy: Expect More Innovation
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Workforce Capacity /by Anita Cardwell and Sarah LanfordSignificant state health policy changes are on the horizon as a result of Tuesday’s elections, which ushered in new governors and political changes in state legislatures across the country. Seven governorships (IL, ME, MI, NV, NM, KS, and WI) will switch parties and be steered by Democrats who all campaigned on health policy proposals. The […]
New Federal Health Reimbursement Proposal Adds New Variables to State Health Insurance Markets
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP Staff#NASHPCONF18: As the HIV Population Ages, States Redesign their Long-Term Services Programs
/in Policy New York, South Carolina Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, HIV/AIDS, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Palliative Care, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Lyndsay Sanborn and Rachel DonlonPeople living with HIV (PLWH) are living longer due to advances in antiretroviral therapies and disease management. In 2016, 47 percent of PLWH in the United States were over age 50. This population often needs long-term services and supports at an earlier age due to increased risk of dementia, chronic illness, and the social isolation […]
How States Promote Recovery for Pregnant and Parenting Women with Substance Use Disorder
/in Policy Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Essential Health Benefits, 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 Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Hannah Eichner, Becky Normile and Carrie HanlonSubstance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), is prevalent among pregnant and parenting women, and these women have unique and often un-met treatment needs. Despite significant efforts, states report that access to treatment continues to lag for this population. In 2014, half of pregnant women with OUD who were enrolled in publicly-funded treatment […]
State Options for Promoting Recovery among Pregnant and Parenting Women with Opioid or Substance Use Disorder
/in Policy Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, 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, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Hannah Eichner, Becky Normile and Carrie HanlonThe opioid epidemic has heightened states’ efforts to prevent and treat of substance use disorder (SUD) in pregnant and parenting women. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, interviewed Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Texas officials about the unique interagency approaches they are using to promote recovery […]
State Strategies for Shared Plans of Care to Improve Care Coordination for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Iowa, Oregon, Utah, West Virginia Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, 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, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP WritersCare coordination is an essential component of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). When successfully implemented, it can improve care, reduce costs, avoid fragmented and duplicative care, and improve family functioning and satisfaction. As states work to provide quality care coordination, many are adopting shared plans of care (SPoC) to […]
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