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This blog reviews what CMS expects from states and how CMS will assess states' Medicaid/CHIP renewal progress to comply with the new requirements.
This blog reviews the decided and upcoming cases in the U.S. Supreme Court impacting public health and how lower federal and state courts must apply the new precedents.
This blog reviews the benefits of extending premium tax credits (PTCs) and the drawbacks of delaying their extension.
The Tennessee lawsuit alleged four major types of failures by the state.
This webinar reviews how state health agencies can implement a policy development guide with examples from states that have successfully implemented the guide.
This blog reviews how state governments and federal agencies are finding new ways to address the demand for behavioral health providers.
This blog post reviews and links to the CMCS Informational Bulletin (CIB) and accompanying slide deck.
This blog shares insights, best practices, and implementation opportunities for reimbursement of community health worker (CHW) services from NASHP's CHW Learning Collaborative SPA workshop series.
This article announces the selection of Indiana, Minnesota, and North Carolina to participate in the Policy Academy to Strengthen SNAP E&T Delivery.
This blog highlights recent Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP) policy developments.
This blog examines the assumptions and justifications behind the 2025 premium increases for individual and small-group market health plans in the District of Columbia (DC), Maine, Maryland, Oregon, and Vermont.
This blog examines CMS’s decision to post state Managed Care Program Annual Reports (MCPARs) and the transparency of continuing to do so going forward.
State Health and Value Strategies will host a webinar on July 15, during which experts will review the new OMB standards for race and ethnicity data collection, describe the history of federally-defined race and ethnicity data collection standards, and highlight the motivations for the revisions.
This blog examines what State Directed Payments are, how they can be used to improve access to care, and some changes in how CMS will allow and regulate them.
This blog reviews tools and approaches developed and refined to center health and equity in policymaking.
This blog examines policies lawmakers are working on to determine the best path forward for delivering telehealth services throughout the United States.
This blog summarizes the successful advocacy tactics employed by AcademyHealth and outlines the potential harm of CMS' data access restrictions policy.
This blog reviews state legislation to regulate outpatient facility fees.
Part Three in this series of webinars provides a detailed overview of provisions in the Access Rule that aim to enhance access to HCBS, standardize quality measures and reporting requirements, and help address long-standing shortages in the direct care workforce.
This blog post highlights three key lessons for agencies to consider when embarking on an organizational development journey in Medicaid.
This podcast explores the importance of integrating benefits for dual eligibles to create more person-centered care and services for members.
This brief reviews the steps leaders of active and longstanding palliative care advisory councils in Maine, Maryland, and Texas to learn about their creation, impact, and lessons learned for states looking to do the same.
This blog examines five important public health state policy issues.
This blog reviews changes to the Managed Care Rule, where the CMS updated the definition and oversight of ILOS in important ways that should both increase the flexibility to use ILOS as a tool for improving health and increase the integrity of ILOS spending.
This blog post reviews the new provisions related to documentation of access to care and service payment rates from the Access Rule.
This map compares the maximum SNAP benefit per meal with the county-level average cost of a modestly priced meal in 2023.
This brief provides states with examples of data-sharing agreements and promising practices to facilitate data-sharing efforts across health and housing systems at the state and local levels.
This commentary reviews the implications of the final rule interpreting section 1557 for state policymakers.
This commentary details a new Health Affairs Forefront article examining the burgeoning trend of state efforts to alleviate medical debt.
This commentary summarizes the provisions of the new Department of Health and Human Services regulation and discusses the implications for states.
This blog review TAC's newest resource, an FAQ page, and updates from the center.
This blog examines which states nationwide have taken steps toward Medicaid coverage for doula care.
This report summarizes and examines the content of the most recent final rule from CMS.
During this webinar, experts from Manatt Health reviewed key Medicaid and CHIP provisions in the final rule and discussed considerations for state policymakers.
On April 2, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP) for 2025. This annual rule governs core provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including operation of the health insurance Marketplaces, standards for health plans, insurance brokers (including web-brokers), and the risk adjustment program. This blog focuses on provisions of the final rule of interest to state officials.
This blog discusses the implications of the final rule for state regulators.
One of the proposed changes to the federal regulations that govern the ACA would permit states to require the coverage of adult dental services. This blog reviews comments submitted in response to the proposed 2025 Notice of Benefits and Payers Parameters by select stakeholder groups.
This expert perspective reviews the healthcare policies and programs recently funded by Congress for FY 2024 as well as the Biden administration’s stated healthcare priorities for FY 2025.
This blog discusses action on prevention, treatment, and recovery, as well as action to stop fentanyl trafficking.
This blog examines the use of AI and legislation focused on its impact on healthcare and public health.
This blog examines the federal oversight of JUUL and how states can harness settlement funds for effective tobacco control measures.
This blog builds on the webinar by outlining key recommendations to maintain diversity and foster inclusion in college admissions and the workforce.
This blog examines actions states are taking to fill in the gaps when it comes to protecting residents from medical debt.
This blog discusses available options states can adopt to improve ex parte rates.
This blog shares findings from a report that sheds light on HCMs.
This blog shares the steps federal and state policymakers have taken to eliminate PFAS from ground water and drinking water and to mitigate exposure to these forever chemicals.
This blog examines the use of data to foster inclusivity in outreach efforts.
This blog discusses how BDT will raise awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program and highlight the ways in which it has benefited people.
This blog is the first in a series of blog posts that dive into what changes to the farm bill could mean for administrators and program participants alike.
This blog examines state legislation related to newborn screenings and how they reflect the importance and impact of screening programs.
This blog examines how public health could be impacted if the nation defaults on its debt.
This report examines how states coordinate across Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
This fact sheet examines mammogram utilization among women ages 50 to 64 enrolled in private health plans.
This blog discusses federal investment to address climate, state and territorial health agency climate capacity and funding, and states that have introduced legislation for climate change.
This blog discusses upcoming changes that will help ensure all school meals align with the dietary pattern outlined in the Dietary Guidelines.
This blog examines the importance of ERISA, NASHP's model act to prohibit anticompetitive contracts, and ERISA's implications.
This blog highlights federal action limiting flavors for combustible cigarettes and cigars, cigarettes and other nicotine products; state bans on Tobacco flavors, including menthol.
This blog examines how working with trusted messengers and crafting informative and compelling legislative testimony could increase vaccine confidence among elected leaders and navigate current legislative sessions.
This blog examines Health Data for Action grantee Carrie McAdam-Marx's journey to take her research on insulin out-of-pocket costs to policymakers on Capitol Hill.
This blog outlines the relevant reporting requirements that were included in the CAA and the corresponding reporting guidance provided by CMS.
This blog outlines a number of strategies available to state and territorial health departments to expand their public health approaches to firearm-related violence depending on their stage of readiness to address this issue.
This blog outlines CDC's strategies for preventing ACEs and how states have played a critical role in enacting policies to support them.
On January 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new State Medicaid Director Letter on how states can use “in lieu of” services (ILOS) authority, including to address social drivers of health. This blog reviews the letter and discusses why it is significant for state health policymakers.
This blog discusses how stigma and misunderstanding of HIV transmission has led to policies that discriminate against people living with HIV or against people who have been disproportionately impacted by HIV.
This blog reviews why taking stock during pandemic recovery and preparing for the challenges ahead presents a unique moment to build and strengthen trust in public health with young adults.
This blog looks at how and to which sectors the cities allocated their money.
This blog looks into the steps health agencies often must take to prevent infectious disease spread through mitigating disease risks of contaminated water, establishing surveillance systems, vaccinating those at high risk for infection, communicating risk effectively, and monitoring endemic diseases.
This blog reviews jurisdictions that continue to implement policies to reduce tobacco and nicotine use, including increasing tobacco prices, expanding areas deemed “smoke-free,” limiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, and supporting tobacco cessation programs.
This issue brief documents how REL data are collected by the Medicaid programs in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.
This issue brief summarizes the key policy changes established through the Oregon and Massachusetts waiver renewals (and reinforced through the Arizona and Arkansas approvals) and discusses key implications for states.
This report includes details on these laws and analysis of how source of income protections help families access low-poverty neighborhoods.
This blog examines the history and evolution of the opioid crisis through several charts based on data from SHADAC's State Health Compare.
This blog includes conversation on the role and impact of SORH and its intersection with other offices in state government.
In this webinar, experts from Bailit Health reviewed a new resource, Addressing Health-Related Social Needs Through Medicaid Managed Care, which describes approaches to require and/or incentivize Medicaid plans to address health-related social needs.
This blog analyzes how the Cross Agency Leadership Team (CALT) is prioritizing improving the Federal Grant Planning and Set Up process to prevent bottlenecks and other issues that occur throughout the rest of federal grant lifecycle.
This blog is designed as a resource for state and territorial health officials looking to cultivate lasting relationships with elected members of Congress.
This brief highlights key lessons to inform data-sharing partnerships between community-based organizations, state agencies, and individuals with lived expertise and outlines data-sharing.
This blog reviews ways states can support the identification and implementation of tech-enabled innovations to Medicaid systems.
State legislatures are introducing and passing legislation in preparation for the July 2022 rollout of 9-8-8, the new congressionally mandated three-digit calling code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This map provides insight on state enacted legislation to implement and fund 988.
This how-to guide provides steps, tips, and templates for developing and maintaining effective partnerships within island health agencies. The resource combines methods from evidence based strategies to support effective partnerships.
This new episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast explores the inner workings of Medicaid’s workforce recovery and the opportunity to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture.
The blog provides recommendations public health officials applying for grants based on a five-year funding cycle, which allows public health agencies to invest in their workforce, demonstrate the need and value for new positions and/or benefits, and make progress on longer-term workforce improvements.
This blog analyzes the progress and challenges for states modernizing vital records systems (e.g., birth, death, and marriage certificates).
This blog post, by current state health department leaders, explores the current state of the public health workforce and provides rationale for adding board-certified preventive medicine physicians on staff in health departments.
This blog reviews recent state policies to reduce barriers to HIV testing.
The Center for Health Care Strategies recently spoke with Jacey Cooper, California’s Medicaid director, to explore how CalAIM seeks to improve care for Californians experiencing homelessness and what other states can learn from this work.
This report offers the evidence and rationale for a policy-based approach to reduce tobacco use. It also provides (1) principles for advancing tobacco control policies and working with Tribal nations and (2) a summary of the changing tobacco control landscape, including the youth e-cigarette epidemic, information on health disparities and health equity, and addressing related issues such as marijuana, e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI), and COVID-19.
This blog examines how policymakers can increase access to abortion services.
In this podcast, Medicaid Leadership Exchange, former Medicaid directors explore what they would prioritize now and into the future when the Medicaid public health emergency unwinds — and where blind spots may lie.
This analysis of the California Health Insurance Survey (CHIS) shows that Californians were largely protected from experiencing a major erosion in their ability to pay for health insurance and care.
This blog post offers suggestions on what states need to consider when they structure primary care investments, including how to ensure that spending reaches patients with the highest needs and improves care delivery.
In this Health Affairs blog post, Nancy Archibald, MHA, MBA, CHCS’ Associate Director for Federal Integrated Care Programs, outlines perspectives from state Medicaid officials on the federal policies that have advanced Medicare-Medicaid integration, and areas where they believe additional federal policy actions are needed.
This commentary outlines how state and territorial health officials (S/THOs) often become involved with lawsuits.
This blog post provide an analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) health insurance coverage estimates for 2021 from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) as part of the NHIS Early Release Program. The estimates captured in this report are some of the first available coverage estimates for 2021 from a federal survey.
This interactive map and chart summarize proposed and approved legislation since 2018, Medicaid waivers, financial estimates, and other initiatives designed to extend coverage during the postpartum period. (Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Medicaid enrollees who typically lose coverage after 60 days postpartum cannot be disenrolled until the end of the month in which the public emergency period ends.)
This blog post reviews policy approaches to providing greater access to services that treat and manage mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD).
This toolkit is designed to help state and local WIC agencies leverage data from Medicaid and SNAP to measure enrollment gaps and increase enrollment using tools to plan, launch, and/or strengthen data matching and targeted outreach to eligible families who are not receiving WIC benefits.
This blog post seeks to review updates to five existing guidelines: Well-Women Preventive Visits, Breastfeeding Services and Supplies, Counseling for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Screening for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections, and Contraception.
This study examines the association between pre-pandemic state-level public health spending, county-level non-hospital health spending, and effective COVID-19 control at the county level.