Archive for: State Insurance Marketplaces

Alabama

Launching Great State 2019 Plan in honor of state’s upcoming 200th birthday; initiative will focus on addressing longstanding problems from healthcare to prison reform and will involve building opportunities for citizens, and promoting education, healthcare, access to technology, job growth and economic opportunity

Colorado

Highlighted poverty’s negative effects and mentioned state’s Two Generation initiative to address poverty that links with the state’s efforts to be the healthiest in the nation; initiative recognizes that residents’ health has economic and overall quality of life impacts; also importance of reducing children’s screen time and the need to promote healthier behaviors such as involvement in outdoor activities

Hawaii

Will be investing in issue of homelessness, which will include addressing the needs of the most vulnerable homeless, such as those with chronic health conditions

Illinois

Need to make more coordinated investments and transform towards focusing more intensely on prevention and public health and paying for outcomes rather than volume and services

New Hampshire

Noted that safe and healthy communities are the foundation of the state; to maintain the state’s high quality of life investments should continue in priorities that support economic growth

New York

Mentioned consumer health concerns regarding access to safe and healthy food and the need for meaningful food labeling

Alaska

Mentioned commitment to implement Medicaid reforms to improve the state’s Medicaid program

California

Noted positive benefits of state’s Medicaid program but that there has been a significant rise in state Medicaid costs; requests legislature consider proposal to restructure taxes on Medicaid managed care organizations

Georgia

Commented that state Medicaid costs have increased from $2.6 billion in FY2013 to $3.1 billion in FY2017

Iowa

Mentioned plans to move to a Medicaid managed care system to improve care coordination and address significantly rising state Medicaid costs

Kansas

Recent reforms and modernizations to Medicaid program have demonstrated cost savings and also resulted in more client services and increased provider reimbursement rates

Missouri

Access to in-home Medicaid services for individuals with developmental disabilities has significantly improved

Nebraska

Noted significant rise in state Medicaid costs

Tennessee

Highlighted the success of TennCare as a well-run system with high customer satisfaction ratings

Alaska

Noted expansion has resulted in greater health coverage for residents and state has benefited from increased federal revenue from expansion

California

Mentioned expansion has resulted in greater health coverage for residents

Idaho

Highlighted the work of cabinet in exploring Medicaid expansion alternatives; also mentioned recently released plan to provide state-funded primary care

Indiana

Mentioned state’s unique expansion program has resulted in increased access to health care and is based on personal responsibility

Kansas

Noted continued opposition to implementing expansion

Kentucky

Mentioned plans to transform delivery of publicly assisted health care and to make changes to the state’s current Medicaid expansion; proposed budget contains funding for current expansion

Missouri

Suggested state should act to cover the uninsured through expansion; can develop a state-tailored solution that rewards work and incorporates personal responsibility

Nebraska

Noted continued opposition to implementing expansion

New Hampshire

Urged legislators to support continuation of the Health Protection Program, the state’s Medicaid expansion program, which has increased access to behavioral health services but will end in December 2016 without legislative action

South Dakota

Noted opposition to ACA but importance of considering expansion to make the best decisions for the state; current negotiations with federal officials to change reimbursement process for services provided to Indian Health Services enrollees could cover the state’s expansion costs; will not move forward on expansion without legislative budget authority or if any new general funds are needed; also detailed how cost projections for the expansion population were developed; encouraged any expansion legislation to include language to end expansion if the federal match is reduced

Utah

Noted flaws of ACA but urged legislators to find a state-tailored solution to covering the uninsured

Virginia

Urged legislators to consider Medicaid expansion through a bipartisan, state-tailored solution

Wyoming

Noted opposition to ACA overall but that state should craft tailored expansion plan; commented on loss of federal revenue from not expanding affecting hospitals and businesses, and uninsured individuals lacking coverage; cited many organizations that support expansion (e.g. state business alliance and chambers of commerce)

Kentucky

Mentioned plans to cease operations of the state’s exchange, Kynect, and that individuals will enroll through the federal exchange

Massachusetts

Noted improvements in eligibility determinations and access to the state’s Health Connector in the past year

Arizona

Highlighted the issue of drug addiction; plans to convene a group of experts on substance abuse issues, recovering addicts and providers to identify appropriate treatments and reduce barriers to care

Colorado

State is working to improve access to mental health care through State Innovation Model project; also plans to address links between suicide, mental illness and guns

Delaware

State has significantly increased access to substance use treatment and is working with law enforcement to address overdoses; budget includes funding to provide team-based care for individuals in need of intensive treatment services; also plans for the Department of Health and Social Services to work with primary care providers to identify substance abuse issues earlier

Hawaii

Mentioned behavioral health issues as the underlying cause of many social, health and economic challenges and that mental health is the most pressing unmet health issue facing the state

Idaho

Local behavioral health crisis centers have been effective; proposed budget includes funding for an additional center

Indiana

Need to increase treatment options for drug addiction; will create task force on enforcement, treatment and prevention; also plans to build the first new mental health hospital in a generation

Missouri

Highlighted the importance of addressing the needs of individuals with severe mental illnesses; will be launching a crisis prevention program for individuals ages 21 to 35 with severe mental illnesses and substance use disorders

New Jersey

Recent passage of state laws that increase access to substance abuse treatment; state still needs to “double down” on drug addiction and to treat it as an illness; committed to providing $100 million to improve access to mental health and substance use treatment by providing higher reimbursement rates for services and providers; plans to increase funding for three Accountable Care Organizations focused on providing coordinated physical and behavioral health treatment for Medicaid patients

Oklahoma

In the past five years the highest amount of funding in the state’s history has been provided for mental health; legislation was passed to reduce prescription drug and substance abuse fatalities

Washington

Recent investments of over $700 million in the state’s mental health system to restore prior service cuts, but additional focus on the issue is still needed; proposed budget includes funding directed towards building a stronger mental health system

West Virginia

Substance abuse has become one of the most significant challenges in the state; have invested in treatment services and resources to publicize services, updated prescription drug monitoring efforts, and implemented other measures to reduce the oversupply of pain medication

Indiana

Recently passed state law allowing healthcare providers to make an antidote available to address opioid overdoses and to allow Medicaid to cover inpatient detoxification

Kentucky

Plans to address heroin and opioid addiction; proposed budget includes funding for treatment programs and continuation of efforts to monitor prescription drugs

Maryland

State is working to address heroin and opioid addiction through a state-level task force

Massachusetts

Legislation being developed to address the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic by building capacity in prevention, education, and treatment efforts

Missouri

Need for a prescription drug monitoring program to address the opioid abuse epidemic

New Hampshire

State has worked to address the heroin and opioid abuse crisis but the issue remains the most urgent public health and public safety concern; efforts are underway to strengthen the state’s prescription drug monitoring program and improve access to treatment, but need further funding for law enforcement and efforts to strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery initiatives

New Jersey

Plans to launch a treatment intervention pilot program for individuals recovering from drug overdoses; individuals in recovery will help lead the intervention programs

Rhode Island

State views opioid overdoses as a public health crisis; aiming to reduce overdoses by one-third in the next three years by investing in treatment, overdose reversals, prevention and recovery

West Virginia

State has coordinated trainings for first responders on administering Narcan, an antidote for opioid overdoses; plans to introduce legislation to expand access to Narcan without a prescription

Vermont

Proposing funding to make a pilot program for overdose drug naloxone permanent; also funding for needle exchange programs, additional state staff resources and to develop a new treatment hub

Arizona

Will be focusing on providing drug treatment and counseling to justice-involved individuals to help reduce recidivism

Georgia

Mentioned justice reforms have diverted justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders to treatment rather than incarceration when appropriate

Illinois

Bipartisan commission to reform the criminal justice system recommended enhancing cognitive behavioral therapy and substance abuse treatment programs in the corrections system

Iowa

As part of the state’s justice policy reforms, will be focusing on rehabilitation instead of incarceration and on looking at funding models for drug and mental health courts

Missouri

Proposing $1.6 million to reduce the number of severely mentally ill individuals cycling through jails and emergency rooms and to direct them to treatment instead

New Jersey

With reductions in the state’s prison population, one of the correctional facilities has been closed and will be converted into a certified drug abuse treatment facility for justice-involved individuals

New Mexico

Importance of addressing the behavioral health issues of justice-involved individuals; proposed budget includes funding for new crisis triage centers, mobile crisis response teams, and community behavioral health clinics

South Dakota

State has significantly increased the number of drug and DUI courts; more non-violent justice-involved individuals are receiving community treatment rather than being incarcerated

Tennessee

State has increased the number of drug recovery courts, resulting in reduced incarceration costs; proposing to invest more in these courts in order to offer services in all counties

Washington

Need to address issue of individuals with severe mental illnesses who cycle between jails and emergency rooms; proposed budget includes funding for four new 16-bed crisis triage facilities and three new mobile crisis teams

Alabama

Mentioned physician and dentist shortage in nearly all of the state’s counties, and outlined plans to increase funding for medical scholarships and loan forgiveness for students committing to serve in underserved areas; also aims to create tax credits for rural providers and increase funding for 12 new residency programs

Delaware

Noted that programs to train individuals in the health care field are expanding

Idaho

Commented on need to address state’s lack of primary care physicians by maintaining funding for physician residency slots and providing medical loan reimbursement; also requests that the Board of Education work with the medical community and higher education institutions to develop plans to address the growing need for healthcare providers

Mississippi

Mentioned current state legislation that would permit the state to enter into a compact with other states to allow medical licenses to be interchangeable across states

New Hampshire

Commented on how plans to expand employment training programs will help address healthcare workforce shortages; a task force will focus on developing innovative solutions to further address these shortages

California

Mentioned that state will be providing health care coverage to children of undocumented workers; also state leads the nation in providing Medicaid home-based care, which also gives jobs to health care providers

Delaware

Noted plans to partner with a national nonprofit organization to improve access to contraceptive options by offering better training for health care providers

Hawaii

Mentioned that in recognition of the need for private sector resources for Maui’s public hospitals, recently transferred hospital management to Kaiser Permanente

Kansas

Will be forming a working group to address rural health care delivery issues

Michigan

Addressed the water crisis in Flint and proposes support for increasing children’s access to health care and treatment for health issues associated with elevated blood lead levels

Missouri

Highlighted passage of autism legislation to ensure that appropriate services are available through health plans; will expand services at existing autism centers and build a new center

Nebraska

Mentioned improvements at state’s Department of Health and Human Services have streamlined low-income residents’ access to nutrition assistance and other assistance programs

Tennessee

Mentioned that Department of Correction worked with TennCare to lower prison pharmacy costs annually by $5 million; proposed budget includes funding for a mobile seating and positioning unit in the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Wisconsin

Noting the importance of helping individuals cope with health and mental health care needs to retain workplace talent, mentioned a recently completed informational kit for employers to provide to employees caring for family members with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease