Blogs / Reports
FEATURED ARTICLE
Lower-Cost, Short-Term Insurance Plan Approved, But at What Cost to State Markets and Consumers?
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffLast week, the federal government released its final rule expanding the availability of short-term health insurance plans, which are usually less costly and do not have to cover pre-existing conditions or certain health care services. Increased enrollment in short-term plans is expected to upend states’ individual insurance markets unless states take steps to offset their […]
State Strategies to Incorporate Oral Health into Medicaid Payment and Delivery Models for People with Chronic Medical Conditions
/in Policy Alabama, Missouri, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington Reports Child Oral Health, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Oral Health /by Amy Clary, Carrie Hanlon and Najeia MentionState health policymakers know oral health is an essential component of overall health and well-being, but state Medicaid programs face increasing costs and growing demands. Many of their enrollees struggle with high-cost, chronic conditions — often linked to oral health issues. To explore possible approaches to improve oral health care, NASHP interviewed key Medicaid officials […]
Overcoming Payment Challenges to Realize the Promise of Telehealth
/in Policy Blogs 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 Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Johanna ButlerTelehealth– using telecommunications to improve patient care – has the potential to improve health care access and quality, especially in rural and medically-underserved areas. But inconsistent public and private insurance coverage and other challenges have hindered implementation of this promising health care tool. The National Academy for State Health Policy’s (NASHP) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Workgroup […]
Three-Part Series: Improving Care for People Living with HIV: Opportunities for State Medicaid-Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Collaboration
/in Policy Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin Reports Administrative Actions, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, HIV/AIDS, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Quality and Measurement, State Rx Legislative Action /by Lyndsay SanbornStates play critical roles in ensuring that people living with HIV (PLWH) have access to quality care through their Medicaid and Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs. PLWH can be among the most medically complex individuals covered by state health programs, and their care can cost five-times more than the average Medicaid beneficiary. Given limited resources, state […]
Twenty-Eight States Passed 45 Bills to Curb Rising Rx Drug Costs in the Short 2018 Legislative Session
/in Policy Blogs Administrative Actions, Newly-Enacted Laws, Prescription Drug Pricing, State Rx Legislative Action /by NASHP Writers*Updated Oct. 15, 2018 Despite a short legislative season, state lawmakers across the country introduced an unprecedented 174 bills to stem the rising cost of prescription drugs and have enacted 45 into law — with seven state legislatures still in session. Last year, state legislatures introduced 100 Rx cost control bills and passed 27. Register […]
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 […]
Federal Suspension of Risk Adjustment Payments Delivers Another Hit to State Exchanges
/in Policy Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffThe latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the stability of states’ individual markets came on July 7, 2018, when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would stop issuing risk adjustment payments pending the outcome of a challenge to the ACA program in the US District Court in New […]
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 […]
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