Publications
Proposed HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2018
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its latest omnibus rule proposing a series of changes impacting insurance markets and the health insurance marketplaces. Our latest blog and accompanying memo break down a few key concerns for states as they finalize their comments due on October 6, 2016. Memo: Proposed […]
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Potential Options and Policy Questions for Improving Exchange Coverage for Children
If federal funding is not extended for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beyond September 2017, some children may need to transition to exchange coverage. NASHP’s new brief examines potential options and policy questions for improving exchange coverage for children in terms of both affordability and pediatric benefit adequacy. NASHP convened a group of stakeholders including […]
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A Federal-State Discourse on Maintaining Momentum for Payment and Delivery System Reform
States and the federal government have been undertaking an almost bewildering array of policy initiatives and experiments in an effort to improve value and reduce costs in the health care system. What are we accomplishing and learning from these efforts? And what’s needed to sustain and advance the most promising strategies? In July 2016, a group […]
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Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the EPSDT Benefit
State Medicaid agencies are working to provide comprehensive health care services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), currently the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States for individuals under age 21. This brief highlights information from the 2014 CMS Informational Bulletin providing clarification on services to be provided to Medicaid-eligible children with ASD […]
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Intervention, Treatment, and Prevention Strategies to Address Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Areas
A Primer on Opportunities for Medicaid-Safety Net Collaboration The prevalence of substance abuse disorders in the United States has increased dramatically in the past 15 years with catastrophic consequences, especially in rural regions of the United States. Deaths and injuries from illegal opioid and heroin use are more prevalent in rural states, and death from […]
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The Nuts and Bolts of Medicaid Reimbursement for Developmental Screening: Insights from Georgia, Minnesota, and North Carolina
The early years of a child’s life are critical for growth and development. Identifying developmental delays early and providing appropriate referral and treatment can help prevent more severe issues as well as considerable costs. State Medicaid agencies can play an important role in promoting early identification of developmental delays by reimbursing and tracking the use […]
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Chronic Pain Management Therapies in Medicaid: Policy Considerations for Non-Pharmacological Alternatives to Opioids
Although most Medicaid agencies cover services that can be used as alternatives to opioids for pain management, significantly fewer states have policies or procedures in place to encourage their use. Between March and June 2016, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) conducted a survey of all 51 Medicaid agencies to determine the extent […]
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Revisiting Churn: An Early Understanding of State-Level Health Coverage Transitions Under the ACA
Health coverage transitions—sometimes referred to as churn—have always existed to some degree, but with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) there are additional possibilities for churning to occur across multiple coverage sources. This new NASHP brief examines current efforts in some states to measure these coverage transitions and provides broader context on the issue of churn. […]
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Pooling and Braiding Funds for Health-Related Social Needs: Lessons from Virginia’s Children’s Services Act
Low-income and at-risk populations often need services and supports outside the scope of a single state agency in order to live productive, healthy lives. State health policymakers seeking to combine funding streams to meet health-related social needs could benefit from learning about Virginia’s long-term experience pooling funds to meet the needs of at-risk youth and families through its […]
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In the Zone: State Strategies to Advance Health Equity by Investing in Community Health
In the wake of national health care reform, many states are transforming their health care delivery systems to improve the health of populations while controlling costs. Reducing health disparities—and addressing the social and economic conditions driving them—is at the heart of many of these efforts. Embedded within larger statewide system transformations such as enhanced primary […]
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