Population & Public Health
NASHP Leaders’ Summit: Views on the Current Congressional Debate
In signaling that it will craft its own health reform proposal, the U.S. Senate opens the door for new approaches to address cost, coverage, and access. In tandem, state officials are assessing the impact of potential changes and weighing their options. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) recently “took the pulse” of state […]
Read More
Braiding Funds to House Complex Medicaid Beneficiaries: Key Policy Lessons from Louisiana
State health policymakers know that improving health and controlling costs sometimes requires investment outside the bounds of medical care. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this brief explores Louisiana’s permanent supportive housing program. The program, administered jointly by the state’s Medicaid agency and housing authority, is a cross-agency partnership that braids funding to […]
Read More
Using DSRIP to Improve Population Health
Under the authority of Section 1115 demonstrations, some states have implemented Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) programs to improve care, improve health, and lower costs by incentivizing and supporting care delivery redesign that transitions away from episodic treatment toward prevention and management of health and wellness for low-income populations. DSRIP programs restructure Medicaid funding […]
Read More
The New Substance Use Disorder Confidentiality Rules: A Work in Progress
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently issued a highly anticipated update to 42 CFR Part 2, the regulation that governs sharing patient information by federally-designated substance use disorder (SUD) providers. The rule is timely: SUD has become a major cost driver, and many state policymakers are focused on the integration of […]
Read More
Case Study: How Minnesota Uses Medicaid Levers to Address Maternal Depression and Improve Healthy Child Development
Despite evidence that maternal depression is quite common and can negatively impact young children’s development, it is often undiagnosed and untreated. Since the rate of maternal depression is disproportionately higher in low-income women, Medicaid can play a leading role in identifying at-risk mothers and connecting them to treatment. With support from the David and Lucile […]
Read More
The State of State Health Policy: Governors’ 2017 State of the State Addresses
State of the State speeches provide governors with an opportunity to highlight recent policy successes as well as outline key plans and issue areas of focus for the coming year. These speeches are generally strong indicators of governors’ main priorities and sometimes also include specific proposal suggestions and funding recommendations for deliberation by legislatures. Currently, […]
Read More
Improving Health through Housing: Three Tips For State Policymakers
State and federal policymakers increasingly acknowledge that health is difficult to achieve and maintain for people without a stable home. Numerous studies show that housing and housing supports can help vulnerable populations improve and maintain health while lowering hospital and other costs for state and local governments. Addressing health and housing can also further state […]
Read More
Federal and State Collaboration to Improve Health Through Housing
State and federal policymakers increasingly acknowledge that health is difficult to achieve and maintain for people without a stable home. The cross-sector nature of efforts to provide health care, housing, and housing-related services to vulnerable populations can make it difficult for health and housing policymakers to align and coordinate their work. With support from The […]
Read More
What can States do during Public Health Crises? Lessons Learned from Environmental Threats in Michigan, Rhode Island, and West Virginia
When it comes to prevention, identification, and mitigation of public health crises states are at the forefront. These crises require a multi-sector state agency approach as often they disproportionally impact disadvantaged communities and are linked with challenging social determinants of health. The conversation regarding preparation and mitigation of these disasters has received increased national attention […]
Read More
Addressing Inequities through Innovations in Oral Health Policy
States 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 […]
Read More