State Health Policy Blog
States Take Administrative Actions to Curb Medicaid Drug Costs
During the 2018 legislative session, 28 states passed 45 laws to curb the rising cost of prescription drugs. In addition to legislative solutions, states are taking administrative action to better manage state spending on Medicaid pharmacy benefits. Ohio, West Virginia, and Vermont offer examples of states taking innovative administrative approaches to rein in drug costs. […]
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A Snapshot of the Key Health Policy Issues at Play in 2018 Governors’ Races
With elections just three weeks away, governors’ races in 36 states – with 17 open seats – are down to the wire and important health policy issues, such as Medicaid expansion, stabilizing insurance markets, public options, and prescription drug price controls, are at play in most of them. The National Academy for State Health Policy […]
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Center for Health Policy Development Board Announces New Members
The Center for Health Policy Development (CHPD) is the official non-profit corporation that assures the independence of the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and supports its work. CHPD recently held elections and instituted term limits for its board members. Members retiring due to term limits include immediate past chair Maggie Alegria, PhD, chief […]
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Federal Housing Policy Developments Could Affect State Health and Housing Programs
Peggy Bailey is director of the Health Integration Project at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Amy Clary is a senior policy associate at NASHP. States use a range of policy levers to address the roughly 80 percent of factors affecting health that are outside the realm of clinical care, such as access […]
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Q&A: To Shape an Effective Response to the Opioid Crisis in Texas, You Need to Ask ‘Will It Work in Odessa?’
Karen Palombo is the substance use disorder (SUD) team lead in the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s mental health and substance use division who helps shape state intervention and treatment policies. Before joining state government, she worked in hospital, mental health, and SUD treatment settings for nine years as a licensed chemical dependency counselor. […]
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Health Coverage and Human Service Program Eligibility: Considerations for States Weighing Systems Integration
Should states integrate their health insurance and human services eligibility and enrollment systems? Some state officials are weighing this question now that their revamped, Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage systems have been operational for several years and most of the early, initial glitches have been repaired. However, there are multiple factors to consider, some […]
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Federal Proposal Broadens “Public Charge” Definition for Immigrants: What Are the Implications for States?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released a proposed rule to change public charge determination policies. Currently, the immigration status of individuals can be affected and individuals can be denied lawful permanent residence if they are determined to be a “public charge” based on their enrollment in cash assistance programs, such as Temporary Assistance […]
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How States Are Meeting the Needs of Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Epidemic
The opioid epidemic is having a devastating impact on children and families and placing a significant strain on states as they work to develop effective programs and find new funding to respond to this crisis. To address the crisis and promote healthy child development, states are implementing innovative whole-family approaches to prevention and treatment (see […]
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States Explore Strategies to Advance Palliative Care at #NASHPCONF18
States, as regulators, payers, and innovators of health care, are uniquely positioned to improve the lives of Americans with serious illnesses by promoting access to palliative care. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) is working with state leaders to expand and improve palliative care, explore how these services align with other initiatives (e.g., […]
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State Legislators Take Action to Protect Consumers from Surprise Billing
Consumer out-of-pocket spending on health care costs, including “surprise” medical bills – often incurred for costly, out-of-network care — is on the rise and state lawmakers are responding with legislation to protect consumers. Surprise bills happen when consumers receive unexpected charges for medical care that they assumed would be comprehensively covered by their insurance plans. […]
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