Blogs / Reports
FEATURED ARTICLE
Access for the Uninsured: Lessons from 25 Years of State Initiatives (The Flood Tide Forum, Rereleased from January 2000)
/in Policy Reports Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Lesa RairIn light of the current and anticipated debates surrounding health policy and access NASHP is rereleasing this report originally published in January 2000. See Trish Riley’s Latest Blog Read the Full Publication.
Addressing Inequities through Innovations in Oral Health Policy
/in Policy California, Connecticut, Maine, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington Annual Conference, Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Managed Care, Oral Health, Population Health /by Lesa Rair and Najeia MentionStates have made great strides in improving children’s oral health, this includes a greater number accessing the dentist and a decline in untreated caries—tooth decay. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), which insure our nation’s most vulnerable populations, have played an important role by covering dental benefits for children. Some Medicaid agencies opted […]
Measuring Physical and Behavioral Health Integration: A Look at State Approaches in the Context of Value-Based Purchasing
/in Policy Reports Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Quality and Measurement, Value-Based Purchasing /by Lesa Rair and Rachel DonlonThe case for an integrated approach to care—one that can seamlessly and collaboratively address patients’ physical and behavioral health needs—is compelling. Individuals with behavioral health conditions, either a mental health diagnosis, a substance use disorder, or both, are some of the Medicaid’s most costly enrollees.[i] Analyses indicate this subset of high-cost enrollees typically has a […]
21st Century Cures Act: Implications and Opportunities for States
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Jenna BluesteinThe 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures”), signed into law on December 13, 2016, is being heralded as landmark legislation for biomedical innovation. Cures funds new research, streamlines the development of new drugs, and supports the inter-operability of health information systems. State policymakers, however, may want to focus their attention on Cures’ myriad behavioral health provisions, […]
State Leaders Convened for National Issues Teleconference
/in Policy Blogs CHIP, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by Lesa RairFollowing on the heels of our Leader’s Summit, held in October, last night NASHP convened our Academy members in a national issues forum teleconference to update each other and discuss emerging concerns and opportunities. From that discussion, several themes emerged: The uncertainty of policy direction confounds states and markets and leads to instability As policy […]
NASHP Leaders’ Summit: State Health Policy and the Next Administration
/in Policy Reports CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Population Health, State Insurance Marketplaces /by NASHP StaffRead the full brief here. Summary As President Trump and the new Congress take office in 2017, fundamental changes to alter the health care system will be debated. States have been actively engaged in health reform, embracing changes to insurance markets, new investments and innovation in delivery system and payment reform, as well as public […]
Moving the Needle on Health Outcomes: State Strategies for Advancing Health Equity
/in Policy Louisiana, Virginia Annual Conference, Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Felicia HeiderStark health disparities make it difficult to move the needle on health outcomes and costs and reflect the fact that states face a variety of political and resource constraints when it comes to implementing health equity initiatives. Minority groups disproportionately bear the burden of disease. The CDC reports that when compared with white adults, African […]
Federal and State Collaboration for Medicare-Medicaid Alignment
/in Policy California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington Reports Care Coordination, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Quality and Measurement, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Jenn JensonNASHP recently brought together a group of state and federal policy leaders to discuss the Medicare-Medicaid Financial Alignment Initiative, D-SNP health plans, and other programs and resources aimed at aligning health care payment and delivery to improve care for dual eligibles. See a report from the meeting and sign up for a webinar on state […]
Coverage of Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Services
/in Policy South Carolina Blogs, Webinars 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, Community Health Workers, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Alexandra KingResearch has shown that a quality home visit by a nurse, social worker, early childhood educator or other trained personnel during pregnancy and early parenting can improve the lives of families and their children both at an early age and well into adolescence and early adulthood. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and […]
From A to Zika: Three Tips from State Health Policymakers on Infectious Disease Crisis Preparedness and Response
/in Policy Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas Annual Conference, Blogs Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Amy ClaryHigh-profile diseases such as Ebola and Zika grab headlines, but state health policymakers know that emergency preparedness begins long before the first news stories — or symptoms — appear. Preparedness and response often includes cross-sector work that addresses the intersections between public health infectious disease strategy and state Medicaid and emergency management policies. At 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