Blogs / Reports
FEATURED ARTICLE
Vermont Takes Next Step in Global Budgeting: Releases All-Payer Model
/in Policy Vermont Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP StaffWe recently published a brief on efforts underway in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Vermont to develop and implement global budgeting. Last week, Vermont took the next step, releasing an overview of its proposal to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for an all-payer model. Vermont’s approach distinguishes itself by setting spending targets for almost […]
Advancing Health Care Transformation Through a State Surgeon General Model: Opportunities and Challenges
/in Policy Reports Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, Health Equity, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Lesa Rair and Felicia HeiderImplementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has opened the door to new opportunities for health policymakers to address the nation’s growing chronic disease epidemic through integrated solutions that begin to bridge the health care, public health, and social services sectors. To take advantage of these opportunities, state policymakers have incorporated a greater focus on […]
Using Peers to Support Physical and Mental Health Integration for Adults with Serious Mental Illness
/in Policy Georgia, Kansas, Oregon Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Lesa RairPeople with mental illnesses use more resources and are more expensive to cover than Medicaid enrollees without these disorders. Moreover, the subset of adults with serious mental illness (SMI) has the highest per person cost of all disabled, non-dually eligible individuals enrolled in state Medicaid programs. Trained peer support specialists are well positioned to bridge the […]
Rounding the Bend: Enrollment and Outreach Updates from the State-based Marketplaces
/in Policy Blogs Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Lesa Rair and Tamara KramerB2015 has drawn to a close, and with it deadlines for consumers to have coverage on January 1. The Department of Health and Human Services has recently released an enrollment update, citing that over 11.2 million individuals have enrolled in plans through the marketplace, 2.7 million of which have come through the 13 states operating […]
Accountable Health Community Models: What’s the State Role?
/in Policy Blogs Accountable Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Lesa RairWith growing recognition that the health care delivery system alone cannot improve population health, there is increasing movement at the state and local levels to create new relationships between systems that focus on traditional health care delivery and those that extend to work, housing, family, and community life. CMMI recently announced an initiative to test […]
The Kentucky ‘Wrap’: Decreasing Administrative Costs for Medicaid and FQHCs in MCO Payment Reconciliation
/in Policy Kentucky Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Lesa RairStates that have implemented managed care in their Medicaid programs face the complex and time consuming task of reconciling managed care payments to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to ensure they are at, or above, their Prospective Payment System (PPS) rates. Several senior Medicaid officials raised this issue during a recent NASHP meeting on the […]
Addressing and Reducing Health Care Costs in States: Global Budgeting Initiatives in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Vermont
/in Policy Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont Reports Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, Quality and Measurement /by Lesa Rair and Sarabeth ZemelIn the five years since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 17 states and the District of Columbia have created health insurance exchanges and 30 states and the District have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover low-income populations. More than 16 million people are newly insured under the law. In addition to expanding health coverage, […]
State Medicaid Expansion Plans: 2015 Recap and 2016 Possibilities
/in Policy Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming Blogs Health Coverage and Access, Medicaid Expansion, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Anita CardwellAs 2015 comes to a close, Medicaid expansion activity in states has not slowed down. Currently, 30 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid, and six of these states have chosen to pursue waivers to implement alternative versions of expansion. As the new year approaches, a number of additional states are considering options […]
NASHP’s 2015 Health Policy Year in Review
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health IT/Data, Health System Costs, Quality and Measurement /by Lesa RairNASHP has long been a key health policy go-to for states, and 2015 was no different. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a year since I rejoined the organization. We began 2015 hearing from governors across the country calling for progress in reducing health care cost growth, discussing state based exchanges, improving behavioral health […]
Will There Be State Innovation Under Section 1332 Waivers?
/in Policy Blogs Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Medicaid Managed Care, State Insurance Marketplaces /by Lesa RairWill there be state innovation under Section 1332 Waivers? Since the ACA was enacted in 2010, a number of states have been looking at the law’s State Innovation Waiver, also known as Section 1332, as a way to reimagine the ACA’s approach to health insurance coverage. Apart from final rules issued in 2012 that focused […]
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