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Topics

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Brief

CMS recently added new questions on the topic of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) to the application used by HealthCare.gov and released guidance for states that want to add the same questions to their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program applications. This brief summarizes the guidance and presents several considerations for states as they look to improve their collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data.

Blog

03.2024 / By Georgetown CCF

The Center for Children and Families (CCF) at Georgetown University analyzed  data on which states are taking longer than the federally regulated 45 days to process Medicaid applications for low-income children, families, and adults. This blog takes a look at some of the states taking longer than their allotted 45 days and the possible reasons behind it.

Blog

03.2024 / By Academy Health

A new blog that published by Health Affairs describes the cultural shift in Medicaid managed care post-COVID-19 to address the social needs of enrollees. This blog highlights the findings in from multiple grants and policy recommendations moving forward.

The Center for Children and Families (CCF) at Georgetown University scanned state Medicaid agency websites for information about the performance of individual managed care organizations (MCOs) for children, youth in foster care, and pregnant and postpartum women. This blog assesses CCF's findings and the financial transparency of state Medicaid agency websites

TOPICS
Blog

This blog outlines vaccine coverage and payment policies for Medicaid and CHIP, and outlines strategies states can take to boost vaccine rates for children

Brief

This brief highlights how pilot program efforts in Calif. are fostering innovative cross-sector collaboration to better serve people experiencing homelessness.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog  tracks trends in adult health insurance coverage rates as states unwind the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement and continue redetermination procedures.

Blog

This blog discusses resources to help state Medicaid leaders partner to connect more program enrollees with the WIC benefits they are qualified to receive.

Blog

This blog highlights proposed key steps that must be taken to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

02.2024 /

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

TOPICS
Blog

This webinar reviews how and why the tools were created and how to use the tools to understand the scope of equity work for a state agency.

Blog

This blog highlights updated measures using new ACS and CPS data.

Blog

This blog discusses action on prevention, treatment, and recovery, as well as action to stop fentanyl trafficking.

Blog

This blog highlights an interview that shares STRETCH representatives' experiences and how the opportunity guided health equity initiatives and provided valuable networking and connection.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

CMS released an updated State Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth Toolkit on issues from billing best practices to strategies for using telehealth in schools. This blog shares a toolkit that includes state best practices and strategies, information such as a state checklist, a Medicaid telehealth assessment plan, and telehealth communication strategies.

Blog

02.2024 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog shares a “Medicaid Churn Toolkit” to guide Medicaid agencies and their partners in the design and implementation of efforts to reduce churn.

This blog shares policies states have enacted to help prevent childhood trauma and ensure families have adequate resources to provide their children with a safe environment to grow up in.

Blog

02.2024 / By Academy Health

This blog discusses how programs that support lactation professionals can support Black women beyond delivery. 

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide culture of health.

Blog

This blog discusses the surge in Marketplace enrollment among individuals losing coverage during the unwinding. 

Blog

This blog examines how gaps in coverage are affecting California families, particularly those that have children with special healthcare needs, and steps the state can take to renew coverage for more families.

Commentary

That's Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Report

02.2024 / By Urban Institute

Using Medicaid claims data, this analysis examines adult preventable hospitalization rates across 21 states for the three most common types of preventable hospitalizations: asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and heart failure.

Blog

This blog examines a Q&A, which is intended to serve as an added resource for states implementing continuous eligibility. 

Blog

This blog compared states' ex parte rates from their first month of unwinding to the most recent to identify whether progress has been made.

Blog

This blog shares a brief from the Commonwealth Fund, which reviews policy decisions by state-run Marketplaces and the federally facilitated Marketplace.

Blog

This blog examines state and territorial health agencies strategies, and state approaches during the unwinding of continuous coverage. 

TOPICS
Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog discusses a report that recommends steps state Medicaid agencies can take to address mental health among mothers and infants in the postpartum year, highlighting recent federal actions with implications for state action.

Blog

01.2024 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog discusses how Benefit Data Trust's policy team is supporting seven agencies to simplify the SNAP application process for families and individuals and community-based organizations that assist state agencies in screening and enrolling applicants by phone.

Blog

This blog shares how partnerships between pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology can promote access to risk-appropriate care and create a stronger continuity of care for parents and their children.

Blog

This blog examines the use of AI and legislation focused on its impact on healthcare and public health.

Blog

This blog presents annual, state-level vaccination rates for children aged 35 months, specifically the percentage of those children who received the full series of recommended vaccines.

Blog

In this blog, CHIR shares findings from a 50-state assessment of insurance department authority to conduct rate review.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog highlights findings from a rapid message test conducted to gauge the persuasiveness of Medicaid renewal message themes.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares the stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog reviews FAQs from the Georgetown Center on Health Insurance Reforms' Navigator Resource Guide related to the conclusion of the annual open enrollment period.

Blog

This blog discusses how policymakers are addressing access to care through telehealth, safety net and emergency services, and adjusted reimbursement rates to Medicaid-enrolled providers.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog from State Health & Value Strategies (SHVS) examines new HRSN highlights from states across the country and reviews recent updates to SHVS' HRSN Toolkit.

Blog

On December 18, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a suite of Medicaid unwinding-related guidance and enrollment data that includes a focus on ensuring eligible children maintain Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. In conjunction with CMS’ release, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent letters to the governors of nine states with the highest child disenrollment rates.

This blog from State Health & Value Strategies reviews the HHS letters and discusses specific resources available to states as the unwinding continues. 

Blog

This blog discusses market reforms, Marketplace standards, and Advance Premium Tax Credit Policies in relation to HHS' 2025 Payment Rule.

Brief

This brief outlines key strategies to engage families and providers in co-creating cross-sector alignment solutions that can more effectively serve children and their families. 

Blog

This blog discusses how organizations can integrate trauma-responsiveness into leadership practice.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines states' unwinding data, variation in reporting of indicators, and data dashboards.

Brief

This brief reviews innovative approaches and communication strategies states and territories are employing to address health equity needs.

Blog

This blog highlights new and innovative initiatives being implemented during the plan year 2024 OEP.

Blog

This blog reviews SBMs reporting of Marketplace transition outcome data, state variations in reporting, and considerations for presenting outcomes data.

Blog

This blog highlights a new Commonwealth Fund post, which assesses the status of state efforts to smooth coverage transitions during the unwinding and discusses the need for more timely and accurate data.

Blog

This blog explores a few frequently asked questions about Marketplace coverage issues that LGBTQI+ individuals may face.

Brief

This brief outlines strategies for state Medicaid agencies to help people experiencing food insecurity obtain continuous access to nourishing food.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar explored successful practices for data coordination between SNAP and Medicaid agencies gleaned from a 50-state survey and three state case studies.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog shares stories from public sector leaders across the country as they navigate day-to-day operations.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar explores successful practices for data coordination between SNAP and Medicaid.

Blog

This blog provides infection control strategies public health leaders can adopt during respiratory disease season.

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

TOPICS
Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

Using state data, this continually-updated blog analyzes the current state of the unwinding and identifies state-based based best practices and trends. 

Blog

This blog examines CMS' fourth release of state data reporting metrics, which includes information on Marketplace enrollment transitions.

Blog

This blog uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to track trends in adult health insurance coverage rates during the unwinding. 

Blog

This blog shares how community members and state Medicaid programs can strengthen partnerships to improve care and meet federal requirements.

Blog

The ways we collect, manage, analyze, and share data used for healthcare and public health decision-making have advanced considerably over the past decade. However, with the implementation of a new, voluntary approach for health data exchange later this year, that burden could be lessened. Later this year, healthcare entities can begin sharing health data under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, also known as TEFCA.

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines eligibility requirements for individuals interested in Marketplace coverage.

Blog

This blog discusses strategies to include people living with disabilities in the public health workforce and help the current workforce focus through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines the federal oversight of JUUL and how states can harness settlement funds for effective tobacco control measures.

Blog

This blog discusses the impact of the Public Health Equity Corps fellowship on the public health workforce and its influence on state health agencies.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Brief

10.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines a conceptual map of structural racism in healthcare.

Blog

This blog examines SHADAC's 2022 ACS table in comparison to 2021. 

Blog

This blog highlights a new Commonwealth Fund brief, which documents the policies and practices State Based Marketplaces have implemented to facilitate access to health insurance information for Limited English Proficiency individuals and otherwise meet their needs. 

Blog

This blog summarizes key takeaways regarding the inclusion of maternal and child health in infectious disease emergency preparedness and response in states and territories.

Resource Page

This resource center offers tools for providers, community partners, family and patient leaders, policymakers, and others seeking to transform child healthcare through identified key strategies, including: adopting anti-racists policies to advance equity; co-creating equitable partnerships between patients, families, and providers; and identifying family strengths and addressing health-related social needs. 

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog summarizes a number of new and ongoing policy changes that will impact the Marketplace as the annual open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage kicks off November 1 in most states.

Blog

This blog offers guidance to help healthcare organizations develop appropriate compensation practices for community members.

Blog

This blog reviews and shares resources from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials' healthy aging portfolio, along with a roadmap state officials can utilize to promote brain health.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

10.2023 / By AcademyHealth

This blog builds on the webinar by outlining key recommendations to maintain diversity and foster inclusion in college admissions and the workforce.

Brief

10.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines rates at which adults with and without disabilities reported they were treated unfairly in clinical and work settings, and its impact on their wellbeing.

Blog

This blog examines variations in states' reporting of indicators and data highlights.

Blog

This blog shares new CMS data on Marketplace enrollment and transitions, and separate CHIP enrollment.

Blog

This blog uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to track trends in adult health insurance coverage rates amid the unwinding.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines actions states are taking to fill in the gaps when it comes to protecting residents from medical debt.

Blog

This blog reviews how Medicaid programs in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have engaged with commercial payers, providers, patients, advocates and other parties to create and adhere to multi-payer aligned measure sets. 

Blog

This blog discusses federal and state legislative efforts and recommendations for improving infant mental health.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog provides a high-level overview of key provisions included in the final rule that will facilitate enrollment and retention of Medicare Savings Program coverage.

Blog

This blog examines the current slate of proposals to reform abusive billing practices in the commercial market.

Blog

This blog discusses how the STRETCH convenings left state teams with tools to help them advance their health equity work.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog discusses states' approaches to support coverage through the unwinding period.

Blog

This blog examines how public health leaders can improve tobacco control through incremental changes, appeals to science, and partnerships with thought leaders. 

Blog

This blog examines New York and Minnesota’s experiences with the BHP and lessons for its design and implementation in other states.

Blog

This blog uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to track trends in adult health insurance coverage rates as states “unwind” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog highlights national and state-level changes that took place between 2021 and 2022 in the broadest categories of insurance.

Blog

This blog shares a new report that offers policy recommendations to ensure new mothers are able to access coverage and high-quality care during the postpartum period.

Blog

This blog examines how public health leaders are preparing to prevent illness from all three viruses with approved vaccines and preventative antibody treatments.

Blog, Report

09.2023 / By Urban Institute

This paper examines the coverage and cost implications of expanding Medicare Part B to include comprehensive dental benefits.

TOPICS
Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Brief

09.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines challenges related to using credit cards to pay medical bills.

Blog

In this blog and infographic, SHADAC researchers use recently released data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) to analyze private-sector ESI and provide an initial snapshot of estimates for 2022 on a national level and within the states.

Blog

In this blog, ASTHO's Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health scholars share insights on how the data modernization initiative and diversity, equity, and inclusion intersect with public health.

Blog

The policies discussed in this blog demonstrate how policymakers and health agencies can collaborate to better serve communities after emergencies.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog explores how, under the Advancing Integrated Models (AIM) initiative, the Center for Health Care Strategies supported eight healthcare provider organizations in piloting person-centered approaches to care for people with complex health and social needs. 

Blog

09.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog discusses available options states can adopt to improve ex parte rates.

Report

09.2023 / By Urban Institute

This report shares findings with policy implications for how counts of the uninsured should be interpreted while highlighting the importance of policies that promote Medicaid enrollment and retention.

Blog

This blog shares new precise and granular estimates for smaller racial and ethnic subpopulation groups that often are under-researched in ACE studies due to data limitations.

Blog

This blog examines actions states can take to increase access to care for substance use disorder among pregnant and postpartum people.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog shares data on how states are monitoring the impacts of the resumption of eligibility redeterminations and disenrollments.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog tracks trends in adult health insurance coverage rates as states “unwind” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement.

Report

08.2023 / By Urban Institute

This report explores findings from a 2023 symposium that explored why racial and ethnic inequities still exist.

Report

08.2023 / By Urban Institute

This report shows the share of immigrant families who have avoided safety net programs due to green card concerns in 2022. 

Brief

08.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines whether neighborhood conditions vary with children who rely on Medicaid or CHIP for coverage.

Brief

This brief describes existing payment barriers and opportunities for primary care providers serving children to work toward financially sustaining care transformation.

Toolkit

This toolkit identifies opportunities and explores strategies to improve call center functionality.

Blog

This blog shares individual-level surveys of people who were enrolled in Medicaid during the continuous coverage requirement to help answer whether people are gaining employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) upon leaving Medicaid coverage and why some successfully renewed while others could not. 

Blog

This blog shares why Marketplace plans will likely be an alternative source of health coverage for only a modest number of people, especially for children, who lose their Medicaid coverage due to unwinding. 

Blog

This blog shares the findings of CHIR's research into the rate requests from select states with early rate filing deadlines to see what’s behind the premiums consumers could be facing in 2024, both on- and off-Marketplace.

Blog

08.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

BDT compared two groups with similar demographic characteristics – where one group was enrolled in SNAP and the other was not – and the data showed that the people participating in SNAP incurred healthcare costs that were 16% lower and pharmacy costs that were 21% lower. 

Blog

This blog includes takeaways from an ASTHO technical package, summarizing a select group of related interventions that, taken together, help achieve and sustain improvements related to risk factors for CS or health outcomes. 

Blog

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.

Blog

08.2023 / By AcademyHealth

The blog explores why improving collection of and access to high-quality data is imperative in helping policymakers understand and develop effective solutions to address mechanisms that lead to poor maternal health outcomes.

Commentary

That's Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog introduces a new National Governors Association guide, designed to make transformational change in a system that has historically failed mothers and babies.

Publication

This publication explores how Medicaid enrollees searching for new health plans on the private market are facing aggressive and misleading marketing of limited benefit products that often fail to protect consumers from the steep cost of healthcare.

Blog

This blog examines the role of state advisory councils in emergency preparedness planning and how public health leaders can create a public health ethics committee to ensure equitable resources allocation during an emergency response.

Blog

This blog explores how ASTHO and the CDC partnered with subject matter experts to improve overdose death reporting accuracy.

Blog

This blog post examines the youth mental health and loneliness crises and shares how public health agencies can work alongside schools to address these crises through social connection.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines the Suicide, Overdose, Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool and the importance of partnerships among health agencies.

Brief

07.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines experiences with long COVID related to employment and material hardship using a nationally representative survey of nonelderly adults.

TOPICS
Blog

In this blog, SHADAC presents 2021 estimates of childhood poverty at the national and state level.

Blog

In this blog, CHIR members provide an overview of the meeting—including a presentation by CHIR faculty member Christine Monahan—and its implications for current and future health equity initiatives.

Podcast

In this podcast, public officials from Wisconsin and Arizona share how their state’s Medicaid programs are partnering with the housing sector to tackle the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Brief

This brief identifies ways in which states can leverage their Medicaid managed care programs to advance their health equity goals.

Blog

This blog reviews state processes that are underway to ensure eligible children who are losing Medicaid coverage are transitioning to CHIP. 

Report

This report, and accompanying brief, explores outpatient facility fee billing in the commercial sector, including the impact of these fees on consumers and how states are responding.

Blog

This blog shares why adoption of and compliance with the FDA Food Code is important.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines states' use of data dashboards to monitor progress on coverage transitions during the unwinding.

Blog

This blog examines trends in adult health insurance coverage rates as states “unwind” the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement and restart standard redetermination procedures. 

Blog

This blog examines how state agencies are collaborating to develop resources to mitigate public concerns and better protect the health and welfare of their communities.

Commentary

That's Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog discusses how data dashboards allow states to make proactive decisions about what data to release and on what schedule.

Publication

This publication highlights the work states in the State Trauma and Resilience Network have been actively involved with since December 2021.

Blog

This blog reviews the promise of price transparency as a tool to understand what is driving healthcare cost growth and target strategies to constrain it.

Blog

07.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog examines the use of data to foster inclusivity in outreach efforts. 

Blog

This blog discusses the use of evidence based policies, understanding the the vaccine opinion landscape, and how public health leaders can utilize value based messaging.

Blog

This blog discusses what states will gain during the learning lab, state team composition and how to apply. 

Blog

This blog discusses the launch of the Diverse Executives Leading in Public Health and its cohort of leaders.

Factsheet

07.2023 / By ChangeLab Solutions

This factsheet examines resources to support policymakers, community organizations, and changemakers in advancing racial equity and rural prosperity across the United States. 

Blog

This blog examines systemic barriers to health care coverage that the LGBTQ+ community faces, and highlights a few key coverage and access issues that continue to impact LGBTQ+ individuals with private health insurance.

Blog

This blog highlights key themes from a roundtable with three leaders about the importance of mentoring, engaging, empowering, and celebrating Black women in Medicaid to support their career development.

Blog

In this blog, ASTHO explores authenticity in leadership—what does it mean, what does it take, and how do leaders show up for the LGBTQ+ community.

Blog

This blog highlights a conversation between ASTHO's Marcus Plescia and healthcare, technology, and policy experts from across the field, in which they discussed the future of measuring health equity in a world of rapidly evolving data.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid supported Carolyn in accessing disability coverage after she fell in her home and injured her hip.

Blog

06.2023 / By Pew Charitable Trusts

This blog discusses the need to invest in equitable infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. 

Podcast

This podcast episode explores how coordinating reentry and support services with community partners can improve the lives of people impacted by the justice system, and potentially help reduce rates of recidivism.

Blog

This blog examines rural hospital closures and why rural hospitals may be at risk of closure due to the present and ongoing physician shortage. 

Blog

06.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog discusses how BDT will raise awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program and highlight the ways in which it has benefited people. 

Blog

06.2023 / By Academy Health

This blog shares details behind AcademyHealth's range of activities to advance data equity, support data learning networks, and extend access to highly valuable datasets for research.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Report

06.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines trends in healthcare affordability and estimates changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and the years leading up to it for two affordability measures.

Blog

This blog examines two case studies that highlight how the profile can support the enrollment efforts of local organizations and departments.

Blog

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials' Public Health TechXpo and Future Forum engaged some of the world’s top leaders in technology and public health on challenges and solutions for modernizing the U.S. public health system. This blog reviews key takeaways from the three-day forum. 

Blog

This blog discusses Kentucky’s decision-making process behind implementing CHW certification and how the Kentucky Office of CHWs has maintained shared decision-making with their state’s CHW workforce.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid supported Susan in accessing lifesaving care to treat her high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Blog

This blog discusses how data dashboards can be useful for states to make proactive decisions about what data to release and on what schedule and then organize that data in an easy-to-digest visual format that facilitates the interpretation of key coverage trends. 

Blog

This blog shares how health agencies play a critical role in strengthening supports for children and youth with incarcerated parents and justice-involved youth to stop the cycle of incarceration. 

TOPICS
Blog

06.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

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.

Blog

This blog discusses how states are approaching helping their residents secure coverage.

Blog

Addressing Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) in 1115 demonstrations can help states improve coverage, access, and equity. This blog examines innovative state demonstrations and implications for cross agency partnerships.

Blog

Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) released two workbooks to help communities recognize data as an important asset in improving health equity.

Blog

In this blog, specialists talk about the program's beginnings, partnerships development, and outcomes in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in public health emergency preparedness. 

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

In this blog, ASTHO asked her to reflect on her experience and role leading public health communications for the nation’s capital.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog examines state legislation related to newborn screenings and how they reflect the importance and impact of screening programs.

Blog

This blog examines and maps states that are using publicly available dashboards to share key data points as they monitor enrollment transitions throughout the unwinding. 

Commentary

That's Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog discusses actions insurance regulators can take to hold providers accountable and meet affordability goals.

Blog

This blog discusses the agenda for the event and benefits of joining the Public Health TechXpo and Futures Forum.

Blog

This blog discusses federal support for states looking to expand postpartum coverage through Medicaid.

Blog

This blog examines dengue concerns for the United States, the development of early warning systems in the U.S affiliated Pacific Islands, and vaccine implementation in Puerto Rico.

05.2023 / By Urban Institute

This report analyzes healthcare coverage and eligibility of nonelderly noncitizens compared with the entire nonelderly population of the US. 

Report

05.2023 / By Urban Institute

This fact sheet examines mammogram utilization among women ages 50 to 64 enrolled in private health plans.

Blog

This blog examines how two newly-released proposed rules from CMS could reshape the federal regulatory landscape for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Blog

This blog reviews selected policies tied to the PHE and evaluates how their expiration will impact consumers’ access to services.

Blog

This blog  compares Washington’s “selective procurement” approach with Colorado’s requirement that all carriers offer public option plans.

This episode shares insight into atypical cross-sector partnerships that offer great potential to align for better outcomes.

Report

05.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

This report examines how states coordinate across Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Blog

This blog examines how public health could be impacted if the nation defaults on its debt.

Blog

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health

Blog

This blog focuses on provisions of the final rule most of interest to State-Based Marketplaces and state insurance regulators.

Blog

This blog discusses how new CMS approvals in Oregon and Washington will protect health coverage for children and families during this Medicaid unwinding, minimizing coverage disruptions and easing transitions to new sources of health coverage.

Blog

This blog discusses that, while there are many factors that may affect the scale of coverage losses from procedural disenrollments, one of the significant concern is notices.

Blog

This blog aims to summarize the access rule which includes changes to Payment for Services, Medicaid Advisory Committees, and Home and Community-Based Services.

Blog

This blog focuses on market reforms and consumer assistance within the 2024 Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters.

Blog

This blog explores the evidence behind harm reduction strategies and shares practical steps for adopting this approach in healthcare settings.

Blog

This blog discusses why timely and reliable data are necessary for program planning, implementation, and monitoring/identifying resources to address and prevent ACEs. 

Report

This report highlights seven HiAP strategies that relate to the actions involved in state health improvement planning. 

Report

05.2023 / By Urban Institute

This analysis provides new evidence on transportation barriers to healthcare, and highlights the importance of public transit accessibility in promoting equitable access to care.

Blog

This blog examines Georgia’s efforts to address maternal mortality, partly through Medicaid postpartum coverage extension.

Blog

This blog provides a brief update on five public health state policy issues.

Report

05.2023 / By Urban institute

This report examines the BHPs in New York and Minnesota to explore how a BHP might play out in other states.

Blog

This blog discusses key themes underlying many of the 2024 rules including the administration's commitments to advancing health equity, improving the costumer experience, and expanding marketplace enrollment.

Blog

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.

Blog

This blog discusses seven podcasts that can keep individuals informed, motivated, and ready to do their best work.

Blog

This blog examines how Alaska and Montana chose to link their Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data to child health-focused datasets to learn more about early childhood adversity prevention opportunities in their states.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Commentary

This commentary discusses how Medicaid supported Sonia whose adopted son Amir who has developmental disabilities.

Brief

This brief presents considerations and emerging state strategies for bolstering the rural behavioral health crisis care continuum at each level of care.

Blog

This blog explores the updated model and its' three primary goals to risk adjustment. 

Blog

A key component of the No Surprises Act is the federal process for determining how much a patient’s insurer or health plan will pay an out-of-network facility or provider. This blog reviews how the independent dispute resolution (IDR) process is working to date. 

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar shares how health agencies can support HAI/AR staff recruitment and retention.

Blog

This blog explores the best path forward for public health leadership following the shift away from telework.

Blog

This blog discusses ASTHO's Breastfeeding Virtual Learning Series, which showcases emerging topics to advance breastfeeding equity.

Blog

This blog examines state efforts to expand broadband and disparities in access based on income level. 

TOPICS
Blog

This blog reviews DIS' role during Covid-19 and barriers they still face–including underfunding and hiring challenges.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Journal Article

04.2023 / By Urban Institute

This journal article highlights findings from a study that estimated the association of PCC with access and affordability challenges among adults ages 18 to 64.

Article

This blog reviews OMB's efforts to maintain, collect, and present federal data on race and ethnicity.

Blog

This blog outlines promising strategies for state-local collaboration for opioid settlement funding.

Blog

This blog discusses the critical role health agencies must play to support positive mental health outcomes through nutrition support and food assistance programs.

Blog

This blog examines issues including network adequacy, door-to-door enrollment assistance, re-enrollment decision hierarchies, and standardized plans.

Blog

This blog examines the importance of diversity in leadership at the local level, scholars' reflections on local leadership experiences, and advice for building inclusive workplaces.

Blog

This blog reviews data examining groups most disproportionately impacted by mental health challenges.

Blog

This blog examined Rhode Island's strategies to promote accessibility in response to Winter Storm Harper and additional actions to promote accessibility during emergencies. 

Blog

This blog examines how states are preventing firearm injury and violence, and next steps for long-term fire arm violence reduction.

Report

04.2023 / By Urban Institute

This report summarizes the results of an analysis of Marketplace premiums and insurer participation in each state in 2023 and changes between 2022 and 2023. 

Blog

This blog discusses inequities in contraceptive care at community colleges and actions organizations and institutions can take to reduce them. 

Blog

This blog discusses how rural communities are developing tailored, self-determined solutions to workforce shortages and rural hospital closures.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar explores a new opportunity to improve access to care and services for people returning to the community from state prisons, county jails, and youth correctional facilities.

Blog

This report explores the dynamics influencing immunization information systems (IIS) and health information exchanges (HIE) data sharing and includes considerations for health, data, and technology leaders interested in advancing IIS and HIE connectivity.

Blog

Physical activity not only improves mobility, but can reduce the risk of moderate or severe functional limitations among older adults and people with disabilities. This blog discusses the benefits of physical activity and strategies to support increased physical activity.

Blog

This blog examines a new video series that will have unique topics and feature stories exploring the critical need for engagement of disability stakeholders and disability-led organizations as equity partners and methods to build capacity through this critical resource.

Blog

This blog discusses how states have initiated plans to publish a data dashboard to monitor unwinding progress. 

Report

This report outlines practical approaches to guide health systems in meaningfully involving community members and being more accountable to the communities they serve.

Blog

This blog discusses opportunities and considerations to utilize strategies to minimize coverage loss as states reinstate Medicaid redeterminations.

Blog

This blog discusses the proposed revisions to OMB Directive No. 15 and comments and considerations from State Health Access Data Assistance Center.

Blog

This blog examines State Health Access Data Assistance Center's comments aimed at supporting the adoption of a revised set of federal standards for collecting race/ethnicity data.

Article

03.2023 / By Health Impact Project

This article discusses experts' reflections on the role of health centered assessments and approaches in decision-making related to health equity.

Blog

This blog discusses actions government officials have been taking to promote continuity of coverage to minimize the number of people who become uninsured or face a gap in coverage.

Blog

This blog discusses upcoming changes that will help ensure all school meals align with the dietary pattern outlined in the Dietary Guidelines. 

Blog

This blog examines the role of breastfeeding in early childhood nutrition security, how states have been promoting breastfeeding and nutrition security, and recommendations for state and territorial agencies. 

Commentary

This commentary highlights how Medicaid covered essential supplies Kerstin needed to manage her cerebral palsy.

Commentary

This commentary examines how Medicaid supported Noah when he lost out on an opportunity to work in Colombia due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had to return to the United States without health insurance.

Report

This report examines the quality of race and ethnicity data for Medicaid/CHIP-enrolled children in the 2018 and 2019 TAF.

Report

This report estimates the effects and costs of two national policies that would limit the financial burdens of premiums for Part B and Part D faced by Medicare enrollees with low incomes. 

Blog

This blog discusses how some states have initiated plans to publish a data dashboard to monitor progress given the intense focus on coverage transitions during the unwinding.

Blog

03.2023 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog examines three key strategies Benefits Data Trust believes will help streamline the transition for government staff and Medicaid recipients.

Blog

This blog examines the fundamental differences in vaccine exemption type, their impact on a community, and strategies to reduce exemptions. 

Blog

With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health is leading a multi-phased project to assess whether identifying a set of key equity-related indicators and populating them into a centralized “Medicaid Equity Monitoring Tool” could be a helpful, feasible, and reliable way of tracking and advancing health equity in Medicaid.

Brief

03.2023 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines past-due medical debt among non elderly adults and their families using nationally representative survey data collected in June 2022.

TOPICS
Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog reviews the primary drivers of the erosion occurring in ESI and identifies three recognized policy options to improve affordability: regulating prices, reducing anti-competitive behavior, and improving price transparency.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Factsheet

This factsheet shares the federal financial incentives for Medicaid expansion remaining available to non-expansion following the conclusion of the continuous coverage requirement. .

Report

03.2023 / By Urban Institute

This report highlights how communities of color counter structural racism and oppression by creating culturally effective community-based programming that promotes equitable outcomes for people who use drugs.

Blog

This blog provides a checklist of actions state-based Marketplaces and state departments of insurance can take to reduce gaps in coverage and minimize disruptions in care.

Blog

This blog examines the importance of ERISA, NASHP's model act to prohibit anticompetitive contracts, and ERISA's implications.

Blog

This blog highlights updates to the Center On Health Insurance Reforms' Navigator Resource Guide to help consumers and enrollment assisters during the unwinding.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar highlights how Denver Health, a health system in Colorado, is implementing a trauma-and resilience-informed approach into organizational policy and practice, while also focusing on addressing systemic racism and biases.

Blog

This blog highlights federal action limiting flavors for combustible cigarettes and cigars, cigarettes and other nicotine products; state bans on Tobacco flavors, including menthol.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog highlights the benefits of using federal matching funds to help states hire more people, raise wages, and temporarily bring back retired workers, and pay overtime.

Blog

As states prepare to unwind the COVID-19 pandemic-related Medicaid continuous coverage requirement and resume terminations of coverage as soon as April 1, this blog examines how they could streamline eligibility determinations for older adults and people with disabilities, who face unique challenges with the Medicaid enrollment and renewal process.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar highlights promising strategies for inviting youth perspectives to inform pediatric practice transformation efforts.

Blog

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.

Publication

This publication presents a checklist that provides an overview of the minimum redetermination requirements states must follow, and identifies some common red flags that may indicate failures by the Medicaid agency to meet those requirements.

Commentary

This commentary shares the story of Leah and her work ensuring that members of her community receive the support they need with the assistance of Medicaid.

Blog

This blog reviews a new report that explores the high stakes for children when the continuous coverage protection expires.

Blog

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.

Blog

This blog presents findings from a study aimed at producing estimates of ACE exposure for different demographic groups.

Blog

This blog examines legislative initiatives to increase AED and CPR Training and challenges of equity in AED and CPR training.

Commentary

This commentary describes how Alabama’s Medicaid program provided Matthew with home- and community-based assistance, and the freedom to hire his own care team.

Report

This blog outlines the relevant reporting requirements that were included in the CAA and the corresponding reporting guidance provided by CMS.

Blog

This blog explores state initiatives to increase access to childcare services while ensuring licensed care centers and workforce. 

Blog

This blog discusses how business’ place-based investments can advance health, wellbeing, and equity.

Commentary

This commentary explores Sarah's Medicaid journey and how program expansion in South Dakota helped cover her child's hospital expenses.

Brief

This issue brief outlines the ways in which such efforts can improve communication, lead to more effective and efficient programs, and result in ongoing collaboration with people who have experienced state-run systems and services.

Blog

This blog explores how State Interagency Councils on Homelessness (ICHs) can serve as a promising mechanism to coordinate various state and local partners and develop and implement plans to end homelessness.

Brief

This blog covers key considerations to account for as the unwinding begins, including a newly announced special enrollment period (SEP). 

Factsheet

This fact sheet explores California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal initiatives that have a direct impact on seniors and people with disabilities while offering additional opportunities for California to address health equity and improve care for underserved populations.

TOPICS
Report

On January 26, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved California’s request to provide a targeted set of Medicaid services to youth and adults in state prisons, county jails, and youth correctional facilities for up to 90 days prior to release.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar highlights the importance of including fathers in patient and family engagement to improve pediatric care.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar discusses opportunities to achieve engagement and trust between safety-net health systems and communities.

Blog

This blog examines recommendations state and territorial health officials should consider to strengthen trust within public health practice.

01.2023 /

This blog examines state preventive services requirements and offers strategies states may want to pursue to close gaps in access to care. 

TOPICS
Blog

This blog highlights strategies health department leaders can explore to reduce staff stress and burn out.

Brief

01.2023 / By Health Impact Project

This brief discusses how the health impact assessment and the Health in All Policies are making advancements to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

Blog, Blog

This blog examines how ERISA works and the obligations it puts on employer health plans.

Blog

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.

Blog

01.2023 / By The Camden Coalition

This blog shares lessons learned of Camden Coalition’s Community Ambassadors program, which has played a key role in educating Camden and South Jersey residents about various public health concerns. 

Commentary

This commentary shares how South Dakota's decision to expand Medicaid eligibility will support Sarah, who had to leave her full-time job to care for her son, and her family in accessing needed care.

Blog

This blog assesses proposed policy options designed to improve the affordability of ESI, the state of the evidence supporting or refuting the proposed policy change, and opportunities for adoptions. 

Factsheet

This fact sheet outlines the need for child health care transformation and offers strategies to incorporate an anti-racist and family-centered focus.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar recording explores innovations in recruitment, training, and retention that can lead to a more representative and supported pediatric workforce.

Podcast

In this podcast Dr. Umair Shah and her colleague discuss how the American Rescue Plan has helped jurisdictions respond to pandemic-related needs.

Blog

This blog outlines CDC's strategies for preventing ACEs and how states have played a critical role in enacting policies to support them.

Blog

This blog discusses that, though the law intended to cover ALL FFY and the provision seems straightforward, the way the law was constructed has many barriers and administrative burdens.

Blog

This blog highlights the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, legislation which includes a permanent increase of the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to 83% for U.S. territories.

Blog

This blog highlights state strategies to maximize continuity of coverage for consumers coming off Medicaid and needing to transition to the marketplace.

Blog

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. 

Commentary

This commentary discusses how Medicaid supported Ashley in taking control of her health and getting the help she needed after she unexpectedly lost her private health coverage. That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog shares how CMS guides researchers and other consumers in their use of T-MSIS data through production of data quality assessments of the race and ethnicity data along with other data such as enrollment, claims, expenditures, and service use. 

Commentary

This commentary shares the story of Barbara, who turned to Medicaid when her son needed access to mental healthcare after being diagnosed with bipolar and oppositional defiant disorder.

Blog

On December 12, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its proposed Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters for plan year 2024. This blog assess provisions of the proposed rule that are of interest to state-based marketplaces regulators.

Blog

This Q&A style blog discusses ex parte redeterminations in which Medicaid officials attempt to make a redetermination of an individual’s eligibility based on available data, without requiring additional information from the individual.

Blog

This blog discusses how persistently low and disparate rates of flu vaccination, and the added burden of increases in other respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), are all contributing to what may be a tumultuous next few months for the public the nation's health systems.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid supports individuals with cerebral palsy.

Blog

This brief shares findings that show the need for greater language accessibility resources in healthcare settings for AANHPI adults with limited English proficiency.

Blog

This blog explores the effect of gender-based discrimination on healthcare access. 

Blog

This blog delves into specific actions states can take to minimize gaps in coverage for consumers who become ineligible for Medicaid.

Blog

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. 

Commentary

This commentary shares how Colorado’s Medicaid program supports small business owners.

Report

This brief provides estimates on the effects and costs of three national policies that would limit the financial burdens faced by low-income Medicare enrollees. 

Blog

This blog looks at how and to which sectors the cities allocated their money. 

Report

This report breaks down the estimate that if the PHE expires in April 2023, 18.0 million people will lose Medicaid coverage in the following 14 months.

Blog

This blog looks into how the adequacy of these plans has been eroding over time, and it presents policy options that may control and reduce healthcare prices and alleviate the burden on many low-income working Americans.

Brief

This brief provides a practical guide for states that are designing and implementing doula coverage under Medicaid. 

Blog

This blog reviews considerations for California's Medi-Cal managed care plans as they fortify provider networks to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities have their health and social needs met.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar highlights findings from a Center for Health Care Strategies report on early lessons for using PBP models in Medicaid.

Blog

This blog highlights two agencies whose unique collaborations with healthcare and public health have allowed them to effectively promote flu vaccinations within their communities.

TOPICS
Blog

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.

Commentary

This commentary explores how Medicaid supports individuals who have grown up in the foster system.

Brief

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.

Brief

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.

Blog

This blog discusses why supporting adolescent girls’ mental, emotional, and social needs may significantly improve population health outcomes later in life. 

Blog

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.

Blog

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.

Commentary

This commentary shares insights from a physician who serves a rural community.

Blog

This blog introduces the one-stop page to provide states research insights and key messages they can customize and use in their own communications campaigns for their unwinding operational plans.

TOPICS
Blog

This blog examines the history and evolution of the opioid crisis through several charts based on data from SHADAC's State Health Compare. 

Blog

This blog discusses Rhode Island's new program that will automatically enroll consumers determined ineligible for Medicaid into a qualified health plan offered through HealthSource RI, the state’s health insurance marketplace.

Report

This report includes details on these laws and analysis of how source of income protections help families access low-poverty neighborhoods.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid supported a family whose daughter was diagnosed with type-1 spinal muscular atrophy.

Blog

This blog is part of a series on unwinding strategies for states and highlights ideas from earlier works on issues like continuity of care, health equity implications, etc., and offers new ones for states to consider to support continuity of coverage.

Brief

This brief reviews California’s approach to expanding health coverage to all lower-income residents, regardless of immigration status, in an effort to help the state’s 3.2 million remaining uninsured, of which 65% are undocumented.

Webinar & Presentations

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. 

Blog

This blog focuses on e-cigarette use and smoking rates, especially among young adults.

Blog

Despite the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s health insurance landscape remained relatively stable during 2021. This blog focuses exclusively on coverage trends for Californians under age 65.

Blog

This blog discusses the delicate balance that must be achieved between different policy goals in the case that value assessment methodologies discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

Blog

This blog reviews a report published by the task force on recommendations for creating a “Bridge Program” by using Section 1331 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which authorizes state-based Basic Health Programs (BHP).

Blog

This blog includes conversation on the role and impact of SORH and its intersection with other offices in state government. 

Commentary

This commentary shares the story of Natalie and her family. Natalie was born with a disability but access to Medicaid has allowed her to live her best life possible, at home with her parents. 

Toolkit

This toolkit includes resources developed for states to customize based on their unique needs, program eligibility criteria, and environments to support outreach and education efforts to drive enrollment in new or existing health coverage programs.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar reviews COVID-19 flexibilities within Medicaid and what lies ahead in returning to normal eligibility and enrollment processes.

Survey

This survey offers findings and insights that can help inform efforts led by Medicaid health plans and state agencies to meet enrollees' needs post-COVID.

Blog

This blog discusses how adopting a public health approach to substance use through implementation of harm reduction policies can help communities address the overdose crisis. 

Blog

The blog discusses proposed legislation to strengthen and sustain infection prevention capacity, efforts to implement requirements for data tracking and reporting through national surveillance systems, and how states are prioritizing antimicrobial stewardship.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid supported Milly throughout her pregnancy. That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Brief

This brief provides information on strategies to improve maternal health outcomes and synthesizes research about the national state-of-play across four domains: maternal health models, quality improvement, workforce and benefits, and eligibility and enrollment/coverage expansion.

Blog

This blog includes key takeaways from Washington, Hawaii, and Texas  of the varied ways in which states are prioritizing person-centered care in healthcare reform.

Brief

This brief focuses on enforcement of parity requirements for “non-quantitative” treatment limits that insurers impose on enrollees, such as prior authorization requirements and medical necessity determinations.

Blog

This blog examines how states are working with the federal government to implement the No Surprises Act.

Brief

This brief includes a checklist of eight key questions that can help state purchasers and other payers develop a robust payment and spending strategy focused on advancing health equity.

Blog

10.2022 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog provides an overview of a study that analyzed the relationship between SNAP participation and health outcomes among more than 115,000 North Carolina residents who were 65 and older.

Blog

This blog reviews state enacted legislation addressing dementia through long-term care services, state planning activities, training requirements, and alert systems for missing persons with dementia.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid allowed Chrystal to access the healthcare she needed while she pursued her college degree in Milwaukee.

Blog

his blog provides research-based recommendations regarding terminology that can be used in consumer education and outreach in order for states to communicate with enrollees about coming changes, what they will need to do to complete the renewal process, and where they may be able to find other coverage options if they are no longer eligible for Medicaid. 

TOPICS
Blog

This brief includes recommendations researchers have made to policymakers to ensure the promise of MHPAEA is realized for patients across the country.

Commentary

This commentary tells Paul's story and how Medicaid supported him in receiving a kidney transplant.

Map

This map includes states’ up-to-date approaches to school COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements on the map below.

Blog

This blog includes a summary of these and other recent policy changes that consumers may encounter this year.

Blog

This blog explores implementation considerations for MCPs and housing and homeless service providers as they establish partnerships to support people experiencing homelessness.

TOPICS
Blog

10.2022 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog discusses how Benefits Data Trust is supporting North Carolina and Washington over the next two years in achieving the ambitious goals they have set to increase access to Medicaid and social service benefits. 

Blog

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.

Blog

This blog discusses how states are working to rapidly expand the available pool of providers given the higher demand for mental health services. 

Blog

This blog discusses the opportunities for state and federal policymakers to ensure food insecurity remains low now and into the future.

Blog

This blog unveils a new series to highlight strategies for states to expand affordable health coverage to immigrant populations in the United States. 

Map

This map includes an interactive feature for viewers to click on a state to learn about its tracing program or use the tabs on the left to compare states’ approaches.

TOPICS
Blog

This blog discusses how, given gaps in access to dental insurance and providers, state health policy is an important area for achieving oral health equity. 

Blog

This blog discusses how these reforms could bring in up to $344 million to the state and decrease the uninsured rate among people eligible for but not enrolled in subsidized marketplace coverage by up to 12% over five years.

This blog discusses how GIS can be used by health agencies to improve public health.

Commentary

This commentary discusses how Medicaid supported Susie when she learned her young daughter Tymia was diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

Blog

This blog discusses state-level health policies that that will support this population moving forward, from legislation to regulations. 

Blog

This blog discusses how the recent creation of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) represents an opportunity to reinvigorate the field of public health and emergency preparedness to better meet current challenges.

Commentary

This commentary shares how Medicaid supported Matthew with the medical care and behavioral health services he needed for his anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Blog

This blog discusses the contents of the Public Charge Final Rule.

Blog

This blog analyzes the new rule's ability to close gaps and extend best practices identified by CMS and states in the course of preparing for the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement under the federal public health emergency (PHE).

Blog

This blog highlights national and state-level changes in the broadest categories of insurance and takes a look at the changes in rates by two age groups, nonelderly adults (age 19-64) and children (age 0-18).

TOPICS
Blog

This blog discusses how federal regulators can put greater restrictions on short-term plans, including limiting their coverage duration and banning sales during open enrollment to prevent junk plan sales. 

Blog

In this blog, CHIR’s Sabrina Corlette and Justin Giovannelli recap the legal issues in the case and outline options for states seeking to preserve consumers’ access to preventive services.

Blog

This blog breaks down the steps state and federal policy makers are taking to improve health outcomes for pregnant people.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Report

This report examines  next steps to increase healthcare coverage and affordability now that the Inflation Reduction Act is law.  

Report

This report used data from the Urban Institute’s Health Reform Monitoring Survey to assess changes between 2019 and 2022 in the share of adults ages 18 to 64 reporting they were insured for the full 12 months before each survey.

Blog

The ACA’s guarantee of free access to preventive services is at risk. If it is ultimately struck down as unconstitutional as the result of a court case that is winding its way through the federal judicial system, Congress will be the only entity that can act to codify and fully restore its benefits. However, there are some actions states can take. This brief explores what state-level health officials can do to mitigate the fallout of the preventive services provision being struck down.

Brief

This issue brief reviews proactive strategies that states can deploy to support postpartum individuals in maintaining health coverage and access to care when the Medicaid continuous coverage guarantee ends and beyond.

Blog

This blog is designed as a resource for state and territorial health officials looking to cultivate lasting relationships with elected members of Congress.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of how Medicaid guided Alicia through her pregnancy and the birth of her son while incarcerated.

Resource Page

This resource page highlight the latest SHVS resources for states on federal NSA guidance and summarizes its implications for state regulators.

Map

These maps explore respite and adult day services in MLTSS states for older adults and adults with physical disabilities. 

TOPICS
Blog

In this blog, Jack Hoadley, Kevin Lucia, and JoAnn Volk review the final rule and discuss its implications for state balance billing protections and oversight.

Blog

For the third time, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to effectuate the application of civil rights protections to the health care industry under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This blog discusses whether the rule, through a combination of timing, political will, and policy insight, will result in regulations with staying power.

Blog

This blog discusses a technical assistance program out of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) to develop and expand cross-sector collaborations with housing.

Blog

This blog discusses current vaccine options, liability protections for those giving the MPV vaccine, and considerations for vaccinating teenagers. 

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of John, who turned to Medicaid for health coverage to treat a strangulated hernia.

Blog

This blog discusses the healthcare implications of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, namely its' impact on Medicare.

Blog

The blog analyzes Medicaid community-based palliative care benefits that several states are developing to advance palliative care.

Blog

This blog highlights the different approaches states are taking to expand affordable access to diabetes management and reduce disparities in care for diabetic patients.

Blog

This blog discusses dissemination strategies that can inform preparedness efforts for future infectious disease threats.

Blog

This blog discusses the policies federal, state, and territorial governments are adopting to improve lactation accommodations in school and workplace settings.

Commentary

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

TOPICS
Blog

This blog discusses how policy decisions can help chart a course to a proven method for reducing opioid mortality rates, and why lowering insurance-related barriers to MAT is key to ensuring access to this lifesaving care. 

Report

This report discusses how public health officials can mitigate the impact of disease outbreaks on pregnant people, neonates, and infants through a variety of policies, including policies related to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a public health emergency.

Blog

This blog discusses how states can improve youth mental illness and reduce suicide through access to mental health treatments. 

Commentary

This commentary explores how Medicaid saved Laticia's life who battled with gastrointestinal problems and mental health issues. Medicaid provided healthcare visits, medication and therapy for her anxiety and depression. 

Resource Page

This toolkit is designed to help states develop a procurement process focused on improving program performance in specific areas valued by the state.

Blog

When the PHE ends, state Medicaid agencies will redetermine eligibility for as many as 80 million enrollees. This blog analyzes how states can coordinate and sequence communications with clear messaging to inform enrollees about what is happening. 

Blog

This blog explores quarterly estimates of health insurance coverage beginning in January 2021 through March 2022.

Blog

This blog evaluates performance indicators that provide a window into how efficiently state Medicaid programs process their Medicaid Modified Adjusted Gross Income and CHIP applications.

Blog

This blog identifies strategies for state-based Marketplaces, in partnership with Medicaid agencies, departments of insurance, consumer assisters, and participating insurers, to help maintain continuity of care.

Brief

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.

Resource Page

Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Raising the Bar provides an actionable framework for the entire healthcare sector to embed equity throughout its work and help achieve optimal health for all.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Danielle, whose small business struggled in the opening months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to trying to keep her business afloat, Danielle also had to care for her son and home school him. Medicaid provided Daneille with the mental health support needed to keep moving forward during an incredibly challenging period. 

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

This blog explores how states can coordinate and prepare communications related to the end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement with clear messaging to inform enrollees, help to reduce churn, and maximize coverage renewal, retention, and transition.

Report

This report provides excerpts of health disparities and health equity language from Medicaid managed care (MMC) contracts and requests for proposals (RFPs) from 17 states and the District of Columbia. The criteria for inclusion in this compendium are contracts and RFPs that explicitly address health disparities and/or health equity.

Blog

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most insurers and employers to cover a set of preventive health services at no cost to enrollees. This blog analyzes a case pending in federal court that threatens to cut off consumers’ access to these services by allowing insurers to impose cost-sharing or, in some cases, cease covering them altogether.

Blog

Amid rising healthcare costs, this blog explores how a public coverage option in the individual and small group Marketplace could help reduce costs and expand access to coverage for people with job-based insurance.

Blog

This blog examines insurers use of utilization management tactics, including prior authorization and claims review.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of the CSA Partnerships for Health, which Federally Qualified Health Centers in the Portland, Oregon area to provide Medicaid and low-income patients access to produce from local farms. 

Blog

This blog examines how employers’ decisions on whether and how to cover travel costs related to abortion care will have a significant impact on whether workers are able to access abortion services far from home.

Blog

This blog reviews ways states can support the identification and implementation of tech-enabled innovations to Medicaid systems.

Brief

This brief highlights key successes and lessons learned from Oklahoma's implementation of new harm reduction policies. 

Blog

This blog analyzes the array of legislation states have considered related to Long COVID and using pandemic relief funding to enhance the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Adrian, who works with the Medicaid-funded Mississippi Youth Programs Around the Clock program. Adrian's work provides youth and their families with needed "wraparound" services to cultivate healthier communities.

That’s Medicaid shares stories of people covered by Medicaid at critical points in their lives, underscoring the importance of stable health insurance coverage to building a nationwide Culture of Health.

Blog

On July 19, executives across the 19 state-based health insurance marketplaces sent a letter to Congressional leaders calling for the permanent extension of health insurance premium affordability measures slated to expire at the end of this year. This blog explores projections and analysis of how consumers may be impacted if ARPA’s affordability measures are left to expire.

Blog

This blog details the Colorado public option, the significance of the 1332 waiver approval, projected impact on premiums and enrollment, and what this means for future state action.

Blog

This blog provides lessons learned from committed patient partners while developing a Patient-Centered Complex Care Research Agenda, which aims help inform other organizations seeking to include patient perspectives to guide research priorities.

Blog

With new budget initiatives, a California Momnibus Act, and a new Medicaid transformation initiative, the state is seeking to advance more whole-person care for pregnant and birthing people, and to ensure and expand access to reproductive health care, including abortion services.

Report

Almost two-thirds of adults in the United States have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). This document synthesizes evidence-based policies and programs that address clinical, community, and policy-level interventions that can prevent ACEs and mitigate consequences.

Brief

In 2021, ASTHO convened state environmental health directors (SEHDs) and directors of public health preparedness to discuss innovations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic such as virtual inspections. This brief explores how state health and partner agencies developed these methods to support environmental health work and how they are continuing to adapt them moving forward.

Blog

Two years later, many Emergency Operations Center's (EOC) across the nation remain operational in a virtual environment for the safety of public health staff. In. this blog, ASTHO’s Directors of Public Health Preparedness (DPHP) Network present a range of challenges that the DPHPs, as response leads, have learned to address, including inconsistent connectivity, greater need for remote capabilities, and improved software to facilitate operations management and reporting.

Webinar & Presentations

This web series spotlights new voices and ideas in health services research. In this video, Dr. Monica McLemore, nurse-scientist and clinician of 28 years talks about using research to address racism, funding and implementation, and her hopes for the future of HSR and nursing sciences.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Sonia who took on the life-changing responsibility of adopting a family member’s young son Amir, who has developmental disabilities. Medicaid provided Amir with preventive doctor visits, X-rays, and speech and occupational therapy.

Blog

Beginning July 16, the telephone number to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, an existing hotline composed of a network of call centers, will shift to 9-8-8 across states. This blog provide in sight on the purpose of 9-8-8 and how the mental health crisis line is being supported. 

Blog

This blog explores the Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) Framework which highlights the most important landmarks to consider within the landscape of data sharing to help improve the well-being of people and their communities.

Blog

This blog explores why restoring community trust and how collecting and sharing data can be an effective way to design measures that help advance community health.

Blog

With the premium tax credit expansion’s (PTC) sunset approaching, Congress has been considering passing an extension—first in the Build Back Better Act and more recently for potential inclusion in narrower reconciliation legislation. This blog explores cost and enrollment rates without an extension of the ARPA’s expanded PTC.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Naomi who enrolled in Medicaid after she lost her job when pregnant with her son, who was born prematurely. Medicaid provided in-home attendants, a wheelchair, medications and other necessities to help improve her son's quality of life.

Blog

This blog analyzes 2020 ESI estimates to contextualize and establish a baseline for the forthcoming 2021 estimates. 

TOPICS
Map

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.

Blog

This blog discuss the impact of stigmatizing language in medical records for pediatric patients and their families and provides insights and actionable suggestions for clinicians, health systems, and medical education on how to improve patient-provider relationships.

TOPICS
Resource Page

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.

Podcast

Since 2000, rates of suicide and substance overdose mortality have steadily increased in the United States. This podcast explores how healthcare leaders are working in their communities to set youth up to thrive by using behavioral health data to build resilience, incorporate youth voices, and support communities in their suicide and substance use prevention efforts.

Blog

This blog explore three newly released or trial-phase databases and their implications for future health services research, spotlighted at a recent panel discussion hosted by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Podcast

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.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar features SHADAC director Lynn Blewett presenting on "State-Level Data Collaborations and Opportunities to Improve the Sustainability of Their Efforts."

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Regina, who is able to help provide her daughter with physicals, immunizations, dental visits and medication—which the family couldn’t obtain without Medicaid coverage.

Blog

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.

Blog

This blog analyzes the progress and challenges for states modernizing vital records systems (e.g., birth, death, and marriage certificates).

Commentary

This commentary tell the story of how Nancy, with the assistance of Medicaid, was able to receive the care she needed and was even inspired to study medical billing when she goes to college.

Blog

This blog explores why some are sounding the alarm and calling for better regulation to control costs and protect patients as private equity involvement in the healthcare industry increases.

Blog

This blog examines the landscape of marketplace race and ethnicity data and detail strategies state-based marketplaces can implement for the upcoming open enrollment period to improve data collection.

Podcast

The podcast episode features Medicaid leaders discussing the need for agency leadership to engage in self-observation and recognize bias when committing to advance equity within their agencies and for enrollees.

Blog

This blog details how the use of an ASTHO tool was instrumental in helping create a disability preparedness toolkit for South Carolina⁠, as well as tips for how jurisdictions and agencies can address the access and functional needs of people living with disabilities during and after an emergency.

Blog

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. 

Blog

This blog reviews recent state policies to reduce barriers to HIV testing.

Blog

This blog outlines a collaborative approach that led to the development of an implementation guide to support mapping maternal health data across clinical areas and use cases.

Blog

06.2022 / By AcademyHealth

This blog post by researchers at AcademyHealth discusses the benefits of having an affirming provider to address health inequities among LGBTQ+ older adults, as well as shares resources to increase capacity for LGBTQ+ affirming care.

Report

This report evaluates a series of evaluations of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation programs that address health inequities. The evaluations explore innovative approaches to equity-focused payment reform and integrated models of care and outline key findings and recommendations to inform future activities.

This blog explores the 1902(e)(14) waiver to help support states in their efforts to successfully “unwind” from the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement.

Blog, Resource Page, Webinar & Presentations

This resource page recaps the Center for Health Care Strategies' recent webinar highlighting two California-based, cross-sector initiatives focused on improving healthcare for people experiencing homelessness by meeting the population where they are.

Blog

Most experts in the public health field agree that the value of data depends on what is measured and what measures are implemented. This blog post from Data Across Sectors for Health highlights the importance of peer learning when leveraging data to improve overall health and well-being.

Report

This report examines the cost and coverage effects of lowering the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 60.

Blog

This blog explores how states can use Medicaid data to quantify tobacco use within this population, identify related best practices, and make recommendations for scaling.

Resource Page, Webinar & Presentations

The webinar aimed to bring together those in states who have implemented social risk factor screening measures for incentive use in managed care contracts.

Brief

In this brief, researchers explore what will happen to healthcare spending if the American Rescue Plan Act Premium Tax Credits expire.

Resource Page

This toolkit contains a table that can be used by a state to examine current ex parte processes and identify and deploy additional strategies that could increase their ex parte rates.

Blog

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.

Report

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.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Jasmine, a single mother and full-time day-care employee who was laid off after injuries she sustained in a fall that left her unable to work. With the help of the Medicaid program, she quickly got back on her feet and returned to work.

Brief

This brief examines both combined and individual rates of reported anxiety and depression symptoms for the total adult population as well as by specific breakdowns, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, income categories, and education levels.

Blog

This blog, the first in a two-part series, outlines strategies state Medicaid agencies can take to identify people with high health needs and provide them with additional support to retain or transition their health coverage in order to maintain access to essential healthcare services. 

Map

With children ages five and older now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots widely available to adults, states are continuing to develop policies on vaccine requirements in schools, both for students and faculty. This interactive map shares states’ up-to-date approaches to school COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements.

Blog

This blog analyzes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' final rules for provider network adequacy standards in the federal healthcare marketplaces and Medicaid.

Podcast

For years, Medicaid leaders have faced a mounting children’s behavioral health crisis — made worse by the pandemic. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, three Medicaid leaders discuss the behavioral health needs of children and opportunities for Medicaid to better support those needs.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Theresa. At an early age, she was diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy, a disorder that affects a person’s ability to maintain balance and posture. Now in her 40s, Medicaid allows her to work and live independently. It also provides her with speech, physical and occupational therapies, a wheelchair and the help of personal care attendants who assist with basic needs such as meal preparation, cleaning, dressing, and laundry.

Chart, Map

This map and chart highlight dental benefits for general adults and pregnant populations enrolled in Medicaid.  

Podcast

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.

Brief

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.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Sonia, whose adopted son has developmental disabilities and requires frequent medical testing to stay healthy.

Graphic

This infographic outlines options can states can pursue as they consider how to target various funding sources to effectively provide treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder (SUD).

Blog

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.

Blog

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.

Blog, Commentary

This commentary outlines how state and territorial health officials (S/THOs) often become involved with lawsuits.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Alicia, a pregnant woman looking for maternal support while incarcerated and pregnant with her second child. Thanks to Medicaid, she was assigned a doula who guided her through the rest of her pregnancy and the birth of her son.

Brief

This update to the methodology documentation for the Urban Institute’s Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model explains how they estimated health coverage in 2023, taking into account major uncertain issues such as Medicaid enrollment after the HHS public health emergency and the potential expiration of enhanced premium tax credits for Marketplace coverage in 2023.

Resource Page

This page provides communications resources designed to support states as they prepare for the various stages of work needed to inform stakeholders and consumers about the upcoming end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. The end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement presents states with tremendous opportunities to keep individuals enrolled in Medicaid or transition to another form of health coverage.

Blog, Graphic

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.

Map

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.)

Blog

This blog provides updates focused on health insurance coverage, insurance markets, and how people are affected by insurance reform.

Resource Page

05.2022 / By Benefits Data Trust

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.

Blog

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.

Journal Article

05.2022 / By Systems for Action

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.

Journal Article

05.2022 / By Policies for Action

This journal article explores the consequences of state preemption laws in response to municipalities declaring themselves "sanctuary cities."

Dataset, Map

This interactive map allows users to explore state-by-state data about child food insecurity, and how federal nutrition programs can support better child nutrition.

Brief

This brief presents benchmark premium data separated by urban versus rural rating regions and includes data on the differences between average benchmark premiums in 2019 and 2022 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Blog

At the end of the Pubic Health Emergency, more than 15 million people may become uninsured if they cannot secure alternate sources of health coverage. This blog provides actions states should carefully consider to ensure that stakeholders, including insurers, are facilitating these critical transitions.

Map

This interactive map shares the status of state legislative efforts to address prescription drug costs across the country.

Blog

This blog explores how states can work with The Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and its organizations to provide a comprehensive, fully integrated package of Medicare and Medicaid services to elderly individuals who require a nursing home level of care.

Blog

This blog answers questions about the ACA's "family glitch," a flawed regulatory interpretation that has created barriers to coverage. The current administration is currently working to correct this interpretation that prevents 4.8 to 5 million individuals from accessing more affordable health insurance. 

Blog

This blog discuss the important role that ACA marketplaces will play in mitigating coverage losses as they prepare for the end of the Public Health Emergency and identifies basic as well as more innovative strategies marketplaces can adopt to help consumers make a smooth transition to affordable, comprehensive coverage.

Blog

05.2022 / By Benefits Data Trust

This blog explores how states are working to prepare for the end of the Public Health Emergency with the goal of modernizing benefits access to Medicaid, SNAP, and WIC rather than returning to pre-pandemic practices. 

Blog

This blog analyzes some of the public health related legislation introduced in U.S Territories and Freely Associated States during their most recent legislative sessions.

Topics include:

Health Equity
Access to Care
Covid-19
Nutrition and Food Security
Climate Change

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Tania, a single mother of two who credits her experience as a Medicaid recipient for her journey into a new profession.

TOPICS
Resource Page

This toolkit highlights opportunities for states to leverage managed care plans to support unwinding the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement. 

Resource Page

This toolkit is intended to assist state officials in evaluating their current estate recovery policies and understanding where they may have flexibility to make the policies less burdensome for affected low-income families.

Blog

This blog analyzes how data from the recently released  National Health Security Preparedness Index, a comprehensive snapshot of the nation’s readiness for large-scale emergencies can:

Ensure the country is prepared for future crises
Help direct ongoing relief to the communities that need it most
Pinpoint where public health and preparedness disparities persist

Chart

A cost-growth benchmark program is a cost-containment strategy that limits how much a state’s health care spending can grow each year. This chart provides a snapshot of programs across the country including state efforts to improve care quality and outcomes in the program.

Blog

This blog explores how Iowa Medicaid program implemented a town hall program that successfully integrates member and stakeholder perspectives into it's program and policy design.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Sabrina, who plans to become a doctor, and how her experience as a Medicaid recipient informed how she sees the U.S. health care system. 

Blog

This blog provides model comments developed to inform and support state responses to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' RFI to achieve substantial reforms on access to coverage–namely, the processes for enrollment and eligibility redeterminations.

Resource Page

This toolkit provides a communications planning guide designed to support state Medicaid agencies as they prepare for the upcoming end of the continuous coverage requirement.

Blog

This blog analyzes survey results on how many people in Minnesota have health insurance and how easy it is for them to get health care.

Brief

To assist states in closing digital skill gaps and preparing for digital equity planning, this brief offers key questions and resources for state leaders to consider.

Map

This map compares state approaches to contact tracing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Report

This report summarizes the different elements of California’s initiative, which provides a model for other states seeking to expand housing services and whole person care through Medicaid.


Map

This interactive map summarizes state Medicaid reimbursement policies for all types of midwives including certified nurse-midwives and midwives who pursue alternative pathways to licensure, often referred to as certified professional midwives, certified midwives, or direct entry midwives depending on state regulations.

Report

This report explores Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace premiums at the state and rating region levels, focusing on the changes between 2021 and 2022, including data from prior years.

Chart

This blog provides an updated look at vaccine hesitancy among U.S. adults (age 18 and older) using HPS data from January through October 2021.

Map

This map provides eligibility levels for states’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage for pregnancy.

Commentary

This blog provides solutions and unique opportunities for governors to reform mental health service delivery. Many states have adopted innovative tools to address these shortages.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Nicholas who requires some extra assistance with daily activities as a result of his autism. Medicaid helps afford all of his caretakers and provides him with transportation to and from his job as a COVID-19 front-line worker.

Blog

This blog, briefly reviews the research regarding the Medicaid undercount in the CPS, provides estimates of how it varies across states in 2020, and discusses the impact of assigning single coverage for those with multiple sources on the Medicaid undercount in the CPS.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Margot C., who has limited mobility due to rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and a spinal cord injury. Medicaid provided her housing in a residential care setting that her private insurance could not provide. Now, Margot helps her peers sign up for Medicaid.

Blog

This blog explores the Hospital Cost Tool which identifies different cost measures including hospital revenue, cost to charge ratios, and profitability across more than 4,600 hospitals nationwide from 2011 through 2019. 

Map

States are taking action on COVID-19 vaccine mandates and passports. This map displays the status of individual states’ efforts to:

- Ban or enforce private employer mandated vaccinations
- Mandate vaccines for state employees and health workers
- Implement vaccine passports or proof of vaccination requirements

Blog

This blog summarizes the new reporting requirements and presents a set of considerations for states as they begin implementing new unwinding policies, procedures, and reporting.

Brief

This brief reviews the regulatory framework for network adequacy for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations and Marketplace qualified health plans and identifies policies and practices to ensure their networks include the number and mix of providers that enrollees need.

Blog

This blog post highlights California's and New Jersey's approaches to preventing and mitigating the effects of early adversity on children and families as well as supporting resilience-building in their communities.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Maddy K., a 23-year-old who has Asperger syndrome who is able to work two part-time jobs, volunteer frequently, and be part of a community organization for those with disabilities because of Medicaid's ability to provide her with essential transportation.

Brief

This issue brief identifies several areas in which state departments of insurance may want to coordinate with other agencies or external stakeholders, issue new regulations or guidance, and establish means for minimizing gaps in coverage or access to services once the PHE ends.

Chart, Map

This map and chart provide the status of state legislation to address prescription drug costs across the country. 

Blog

This blog summarizes feedback from representatives of consumer advocates, insurers, and state agencies on CMS' proposed annual Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters, which updates regulations governing the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces.

Blog

This blog explores how telehealth can support services like telematernity and behavioral health visits and its potential to meet health needs and improve health equity.

Blog

This blog explores strategies on how to invest in the development of Medicaid leaders to help states and territories improve the health and well-being of people served by publicly financed care.

Key tips include:

Always have a plan b, plan c, and plan d.
Build relationships and find a common thread.
Fill the void.
And more.

Brief

This brief provides a current snapshot of racial, ethnic, and language concordance between nonelderly patients ages 18 to 64 and their usual providers. 

Chart

This chart provides recently updated data for state-level health behaviors and outcomes from the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 and 2021.

Data includes six measures:

Alcohol-Involved Deaths
Opioid-related Drug Poisoning Deaths
Suicide Deaths
Premature Death
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Unemployment Rate

Blog

This blog provides data and key findings that explain how that expiration of ARPA provisions will lead to significant premium increases for the majority of consumers enrolled in coverage through the state-based marketplaces.

Dataset

This toolkit examines Medicaid payment strategies that Arizona, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania use to improve substance use disorder treatment for Medicaid beneficiaries. 

Blog

This blog explores data on Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSM) operating in Massachusetts, due to a state requirement to regularly report on enrollment, membership fees, and other information about HCSM operations and finances. 

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Andre H., who after turning 23 was no longer able to afford medication and proper care to treat his sickle cell disease. After receiving Medicaid, he no longer had to choose between paying rent or buying the medication that keeps him alive.

Brief

This brief analyzes data from the National Health Interview Survey, the Current Population Survey, and the Health Reform Monitoring Survey to explore trends in coverage status and type between early 2019 and early 2021.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Dominique G., who spent most of her life in hospitals due to sickle cell disease. Medicaid coverage provided her regular hematologist visits, appropriate equipment and medications to make living at home possible.

Blog

This blog summarizes key takeaways laid out in the new CMS guidance related to timelines and operational strategies states can leverage to mitigate churn when the federal Medicaid continuous coverage requirement ends.

Brief

This brief examines how labor and delivery closures in New Hampshire affected the providers and patients in rural communities.

Brief

This brief summarizes key findings from a new study led by Dr. Hannah Neprash which provides direct answers about how clinicians responded to the Medicaid expansion.

Chart, Map

This map and chart describe each state’s latest emergency orders and actions designed to safeguard residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, including statewide mask requirements.

Blog

This blog analyzes comments submitted by state departments of insurance and state-based marketplaces to better understand the impact of The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently proposed set of rules governing the marketplaces and health insurance standards for next year.

Brief

This brief examines significant challenges and solutions identified by state health officials to mitigate coverage losses.

Blog

This blog provides takeaways from the Massachusetts One Care Program, highlighting the impact of engaging members with disabilities in care planning and strategies that health systems and payers can use to advance health equity through improved engagement with people with disabilities.

Brief

This brief projects Medicaid enrollment for the population under age 65 and federal and state Medicaid spending for 2022 and 2023, assuming the PHE is extended through the first, second, or third quarters of 2022.

Dataset

This Databook provides a comprehensive, detailed look at Medicaid enrollment trends from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic through November 2021 and enrollment detail by state across four eligibility categories:

Expansion adults
Children (including those enrolled in CHIP)
Non-expansion adults
Aged, blind, and disabled individuals

Blog

This blog provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' RFI regarding the federal standards that govern access to care in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.  

Blog

This blog highlights key themes and topics that governors across the country reflected upon during their state-of-the-state addresses. 

Map

This interactive map shows how states have developed, deployed and adapted their contact tracing approaches in response to the pandemic to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Brief

This brief highlights strategies for states to expand affordable health coverage to immigrant populations in the United States and provides an overview of the status of the public charge rule.

Blog

This paper outlines strategies states may consider to improve routine childhood vaccination rates and catch-up the millions of children who are behind on vaccinations due to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Blog

This blog examines Virginia's framework to expand coverage for community doula services for Medicaid beneficiaries. 

Report

This report examines existing data and research to comprehensively describe the scope and prevalence of obesity and available obesity treatments in the US covered by fee-for-service Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, state employee health plans, and state essential health benefits benchmark plans.


This blog explores the obstacles consumers have faced obtaining free preventive services since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in 2010.

Blog

This Blog explores Oregon's new kindergarten readiness incentive metric in its Medicaid program focused on social-emotional health to help solidify the connection between a child’s health and their success in school and beyond. 

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of John and Bernie, who both turned to Medicaid after losing their jobs. Medicaid coverage gave Bernie access to needed medical care following a heart attack and provided John with coverage after he broke his leg. 

Chart, Graphic

This infographic details state-level trends in public coverage, private coverage, and those without health insurance coverage summarizing The National Center for Health Statistics recently released National Health Statistics Report, which presents state-level estimates of health insurance coverage using data from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey.

This facts sheet explores the U.S. mortality data of alcohol-related deaths and drug overdoses reported within the last ten years, highlighting patterns and a crescendo in numbers during the pandemic.

Chart

This chart provides an overview of how states legislatures are acting to coordinate and direct the uses and disbursement of opioid abatement funds. 

Blog

This blog summarizes the actions state leaders have taken to invest in and strengthen school-based mental health systems addressing students' mental health needs brought upon by COVID-19. 

Blog

This blog summarizes practical steps and recommendations for alternative payment models to help state Medicaid agencies make care more accessible and equitable, and drive better health outcomes. 

Webinar & Presentations

This video discusses the 2021 release of the National Health Security Preparedness Index.

Resource Page

This resource page outlines what palliative care is, how it can improve quality of life and how state policymakers can bridge the information gap.

Report

This report builds on The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) ’ draft “Recommendation Memo,” to make a public health insurance option available in the individual market and, potentially, the small group market as well.

Blog

This blog explores how CMS's proposal to resurrect and revise its previous initiative that encouraged health insurance companies selling plans in the federally facilitated marketplace (FFM) would impact consumers.

Blog

This blog profiles Indiana’s plans to launch Medicaid managed long-term services and supports in 2024, under which a majority of participants are expected to be dually eligible individuals.

Blog

This blog explores a set of primary care standards to help states explicitly make health equity a focus of primary care standards and incentivize practice-level activities aligned with broader state health equity goals.

Blog

This blog examines important questions officials are considering as they monitor shifting trends of telehealth utilization across the country.

Chart

This chart provides a snapshot of cost-growth benchmark programs, cost-containment strategies that limit how much a state’s health care spending can grow each year, across the United States.

Blog

This blog provides Medicaid agencies with examples of how different states are leveraging their managed care programs, inclusive of contracts, quality initiatives, and procurement processes, to promote health equity and address health disparities.

Blog

This blog explores text messaging as a mechanism for outreach for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies to directly contact Medicaid and CHIP enrollees and communicate important information.

Brief

This blog summarizes a phased set of priority measures and provides a model enrollment and retention dashboard template that states can use to monitor both the short-term impacts of phasing out public health emergency protections and continuous coverage requirements, as well as longer-term enrollment and retention trends.

Blog

This blog explores value-based, alternative payment models as employer-sponsored health insurance costs have increased by 6.3 percent in the United States since 2010, with additional increases projected.

Commentary

This commentary shares the story of Ashley, who unexpectedly lost the private health insurance she received under her father’s health plan when she moved to New Mexico.

Blog

This blog presents survey findings that show no significant changes in coverage type (public, private) or uninsured rate across all ages and income groups when compared in Q3 of 2021 compared to the Q3 of 2020.

Blog

This blog examines recent happenings with insurer participation in the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Brief

This issue brief examines the current status of data collection to assess Medicaid enrollment and retention, summarizes potential forthcoming reporting requirements, and describes some of the best practices states should consider when developing a data dashboard to display this type of information.

Blog

This blog examines some of the key factors and decision points states may want to consider as they build out mobile mental health crisis services and systems that qualify for enhanced federal medical assistance percentage funding; engaging a cross-agency team and a broad range of external stakeholders can help ensure full consideration of diverse state crisis needs.

Blog

This blog examines the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for the 2023 plan year, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that describes the annual regulation governing health insurance plans and marketplaces for the upcoming year.

Blog

This blog details new federal rules that require health insurers to cover and waive cost-sharing for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for the duration of the federal public health emergency.

Blog

This blog examines the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' newly released State Health Official letter providing guidance on the scope of and enhanced payments for qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services for Medicaid enrollees experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis.

Chart

This chart summarizes temporary Medicaid and CHIP flexibilities enacted by the federal government to help states respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The chart includes effective dates and expiration dates as dictated by law or agency guidance.  

Blog

This blog analyzes the coverage landscape in California in 2020, highlighting both encouraging trends and persistent disparities that warrant attention, particularly as federal policies that protect coverage connected to the pandemic end or wind down.

Map

This interactive map explores state legislation to implement and fund 988, the new congressionally mandated three-digit calling code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Brief

This brief offers considerations for policymakers around the Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage as a method of enabling states to provide prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum services to pregnant individuals, regardless of immigration status.

Brief

This brief examines provisions of the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for the plan year 2023 related to the state-based marketplaces and state insurance regulators.

Report

This toolkit highlights opportunities for states to leverage managed care plans to support unwinding the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement.

Blog, Map

This blog presents a set of data resources for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to help policymakers and other stakeholders identify opportunities to improve health equity in their states.

Blog

This blog highlights several successful state initiatives that policymakers may consider adopting to improve routine Human Papillomavirus vaccination rates among adolescents and provide catch-up vaccinations to the estimated one million adolescents who are now behind due to the challenges of the pandemic.

Blog

This blog explores transparency legislation that influences drug pricing by requiring manufacturers and other supply chain entities to provide information on drug pricing.

Map

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.

Blog

This blog provides a high-level overview of a range of state-level measures which may help states understand and track trends across indicators of health equity, such as health insurance coverage, health care access and affordability, and quality of care. 

Chart

This informative chart details key components and features of states’ Medicaid doula benefits.

Blog

This blog post sheds light on how Pennsylvania has taken steps to better understand how to mitigate the racial bias by collecting information on how Medicaid Managed Care Organizations are using algorithms, the types of proxies being used, and the outcomes as a method to develop their health equity strategies.

Report

This extensive report provides a communications planning guide and template communications resources designed to support state Medicaid agencies as they prepare for the upcoming end of the continuous coverage requirement.

Blog

This blog examines how state officials are actively planning for the eventual end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement that is currently associated with the federal COVID-19 public health emergency and enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds.

Map

This interactive map displays each state’s latest emergency orders and actions designed to safeguard residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Map

This interactive map exhibits the status of individual states’ actions on COVID-19 vaccine mandates and passports.

Map

This interactive map showcases how states are addressing school mask mandates amidst increasing youth vaccination rates and fluctuations in pediatric COVID-19 cases.

Factsheet

This toolkit is a resource for state policymakers interested in strategies to address the problem of prescription drug prices.

Blog

This blog post offers considerations for pediatric medical care teams and community partners to ensure more equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution among children.

Blog

This brief features key considerations for state policy makers for leveraging federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act including: Maximizing and aligning Medicaid and other funding sources; Sustaining new crisis capacity; Providing crisis services in rural areas; Addressing endemic workforce challenges; Sharing data;  and investing strategically.

Map

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.

Map

This map developed features state tracing programs and compares states’ approaches.

Report

This report offers four recommendations for policymakers to integrate individuals with lived expertise as partners in program and policy design, implementation, and evaluation to more effectively address food insecurity.

Commentary

This commentary shares the story of Kaui, whose daughter was diagnosed with type-1 spinal muscular atrophy shortly after birth.

TOPICS

This commentary tells the story of Chrystal, who turned to Medicaid for health coverage during her time as a full time student in Milwaukee. Without Medicaid Chrystal would have been unable to afford the inhaler she needed to protect her from asthma attacks and medical appointments for her general well-being.

TOPICS
Brief

This brief explores how nearly 13 million adults delayed or did not get needed prescription drugs in the past year because of the cost, including 2.3 million elderly Medicare beneficiaries and 3.8 million nonelderly adults with private insurance, 1.1 million with Medicaid, and 4.1 million who were uninsured at any point during the year.

Brief

This issue brief explores opportunities for state Medicaid agencies to implement performance measures with contracted care entities that could strengthen their growing interest in social care and highlights several barriers to those applications.

Map

This map features how states are using these one-time funds to support transitions from institutional settings into the community through housing navigation, employment placement, assistance with transition costs and other social determinant supports, as well as by investing in affordable and accessible housing for home-and community-based services populations to remain within the community.

Brief

This brief describes current use of and spending on routine vision and hearing services among all Medicare beneficiaries and select subgroups.

Brief

This brief highlights key state actions to increase cancer screening for adults covered by Medicaid and improving health outcomes.

Map

This map provides a snapshot of current telehealth medications for opioid use disorder state policy 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar and accompanying presentation examine the challenges and solutions to ensure families have adequate nutrition during the pandemic and beyond through various governmental food programs.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar provide an overview of strategies for states seeking to ensure that eligible enrollees are able to keep or transition to new affordable health coverage when the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement ends.

Commentary

This commentary covers how the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)’s Model Act for State Oversight of Proposed Health Care Mergers grants state attorneys general and state health officials with overarching authority on cost, like a health cost commission, the authority to review, place conditions upon, and block potentially harmful consolidation of healthcare providers in their state.

Commentary

This commentary highlights how states have advanced two separate but related initiatives  to tackle rising healthcare costs: cost-growth benchmarks to track and contain overall healthcare spending; and prescription drug affordability boards to conduct reviews of high-cost prescription drugs and set limits on what can be paid for these drugs in the future.

Brief

This issue brief summarizes state strategies and experiences shared during a virtual summit on data and health equity, as well as lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief

This brief synthesizes key accomplishments and lessons learned based on interviews with 10 state COVID-19 health equity task forces represented in the network. 

Brief

The brief focuses on actions Medicaid agencies can pursue through their managed care programs or directly with provider organizations and highlights state interventions and collaborations that demonstrate promise in reducing disparities and begin to center equity in birth-related health policies.

Report

This report estimates increases in federal subsidies under two provisions of the Build Back Better Act that would flow to people below the federal poverty limit in the 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid (people in the “Medicaid gap”).

Brief

This brief examines how state Medicaid and public health programs can advance health equity for the communities they serve, especially for people of color, working both within their agency and through cross-agency partnerships.

Commentary

This commentary is the story of Theresa, who developed Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy and whose Medicaid allows her to work and live independently, and do activities she enjoys such as swimming. 

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Becky, whose Medicaid covers her medical visits and medication, as well as home-based assistance to help manage her multiple sclerosis.

This commentary tells the story of Tania, who through Medicaid not only receives mental health care but is also approved to visit specialists who care for her autoimmune disorder, something that would be unaffordable otherwise.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Alicia, who was able to access a doula through Medicaid while incarcerated and pregnant with her second child.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar reviewed steps states can take to integrate health equity into their Medicaid managed care programs.

Brief

This brief examines the information technology system, policy, and operational strategies states can consider to update key enrollee contact information to ensure eligible enrollees are able to keep or transition to new affordable health coverage at the end of the public health emergency.

Brief

This brief highlights a Nevada program that aims to target oral health care gaps among children who rely on school-based sealant programs to prevent dental decay, the most common chronic condition among children. 

Map

This map highlights contact tracing as an essential strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19.

TOPICS
Brief

This brief identifies key themes and policy considerations to help Massachusetts implement value-based payment models that better meet children’s needs.

Commentary

11.2021 /

This commentary tells the story of Adrian, who serves as an assistant director at the Hattiesburg, Miss., office of Youth Villages and oversees the Medicaid-funded Mississippi Youth Programs Around the Clock (MYPAC) effort, which currently has more than 500 people enrolled throughout the state.

Brief

This issue brief reviews state Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program agency data and information technology system “table stakes”—strategies that will have the highest impact for states seeking to ensure that eligible enrollees are able to keep or transition to new affordable health coverage when the Public Health Emergency continuous coverage requirements end.

Blog

This blog discusses the appointment of Kara Herring as Indiana's first Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer.

Chart

This chart presents efforts by state insurance purchasers using reimbursement rates paid by Medicare as a reference-point to inform their programs’ hospital payments.

Brief

This brief explores whether insurance shoppers are still being directed towards alternative coverage at a time when the Affordable Care Act coverage was broadly available and more affordable than ever because of the enhanced premium subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Factsheet

This fact sheet explores how people of color experience unfair treatment or judgment when applying for public benefits at higher rates than white adults, and those experiences often have adverse consequences.

Journal Article

This journal article assesses the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion on coverage and access to care for a subset of low-income parents who were already eligible for Medicaid when the ACA was passed.

Brief

This issue brief—the first in a series “Supporting Health Equity and Affordable Health Coverage for Immigrant Populations”—provides an overview of the national immigrant health coverage landscape and offers considerations for policymakers related to state-funded affordable coverage programs for low-income individuals who do not qualify for subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act or other public programs due to immigration status.

Chart

This brief explores how states propose using American Rescue Plan Act funds to bolster the workforce that provides home- and community-based services, including increasing reimbursement rates, providing new opportunities for professional advancement, and offering recruitment and retention incentives.

Blog

This expert perspective highlights observations about the factors impacting rate changes in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces this year and the kind of variations that exist among states.

Brief

This issue brief presents a sustainable, hybrid coverage and funding approach for mobile crisis services in light of the new federal funding opportunities for states to improve access to behavioral health crisis services.

Webinar & Presentations

This video features NSHPI director Glen Mays and board member Suzet McKinney discussing ways to improve collaboration between public health and medical care, strategies to increase the nation's healthcare service capacity, ways to address the healthcare inequities that COVID-19 has exposed, and much more.

TOPICS
Brief

This brief documents how information describing sexual or gender minority populations is currently collected at the federal level and in Medicaid.

Brief

This brief examines results from SHADAC's survey on population experiences with COVID-19 sickness and death.

Brief

This brief highlights the Departments of Health and Human Services and the Treasury's final rule governing marketplaces and qualified health plans sold through the marketplaces in 2022.  

Brief

This brief analyzes how three state governments (Illinois, Indiana, and Rhode Island) worked across agencies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary presents strategies for state-based marketplaces to improve consumer outreach, provide enrollment assistant and clearly communicate with consumers with what health coverage options are available for them in 2022.

Brief

This brief presents an updated version of the SHADAC COVID-19 Survey in April 2021, aimed at understanding respondents’ experiences with illness and death due to COVID-19 for themselves, their families, and their contacts.

Report

10.2021 / By Urban Institute

This report finds that generous funding to support policies related to home- and community-based services (HCBS) eligibility, caregiver wages, and services could drastically improve the lives of people in need and the workers who serve them.

Webinar & Presentations

10.2021 / By Urban Institute

This event examines the Housing Crisis Research Collaborative and the Urban Institute's insights from published and upcoming research on how policymakers, researchers, community members, and funders can work together to support the stabilization of renters in the US during and beyond the pandemic.

Blog

This blog examines the results from the 2021 release of the National Health Security Preparedness Index which show that the nation’s protections from large-scale health threats remain highly variable across the country. 

Webinar & Presentations

This recording features highlights from NASHP's 34th Annual Conference.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar discusses the research on how Medicaid saves lives, reduces costs, and helps eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities.

Report

09.2021 / By Urban Institute

This report examines policies to improve continuous postpartum coverage after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.

Commentary

This expert perspective summarizes the provisions of the No Surprises Act relating to air ambulances and notes particular implications for state regulators and marketplace officials.

Commentary

This paper includes considerations and approaches to promote equity and improve public health capacity to prevent, detect and respond to HIV, viral hepatitis, STDs and TB during the public health emergency and beyond.

Chart

This map and chart provides updated information states' vaccination and mask mandates in schools across United States.

TOPICS
Chart

This map and chart highlight dental benefits for general adults and pregnant populations enrolled in Medicaid.

Brief

08.2019 / By Urban Institute

Using the American Community Survey, the brief presents that uninsurance increased by 0.2 percentage points between 2016 and 2017 despite a strong economy, meaning 700,000 more uninsured Americans.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar shared findings from a published Manatt Health issue brief for SHVS on Medicaid’s role in combating the maternal mortality crisis.

Brief

01.2021 / By Urban Institute

This brief present that if the remaining 14 states had expanded eligibility in 2020, 4.4 million fewer people would have been uninsured that year.

Blog

This blog examines the interest in the potential timeline for Medicaid expansion in the remaining states after the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. 

Graphic

This infographic examines how expanded coverage has saved lives, reduced health care costs, narrowed racial disparities, and provided peace of mind to those who would otherwise have been uninsured.

Brief

08.2021 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines how enrollment gains in public insurance helped offset declines in employer-sponsored insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike previous recessions, the uninsurance rate did not change.

Resource Page

This resource page compiles the latest Robert Wood Johnson funded research on the benefits of closing the Medicaid coverage gap.

Blog

This blog post examines how the American Rescue Plan Act affected the affordability, choice, and coverage stability of health plans on 12 different state-based marketplaces. 

Report

10.2021 / By Urban Institute

This report aims to estimate the Medicaid enrollment trends once the COVID-19 public emergency ends and policies prohibiting disenrolling beneficiaries are nullified.

Commentary

This expert perspective explores how state Medicaid managed care programs and health plans can work collaboratively to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates for the more than 55 million Medicaid enrollees in comprehensive managed care plans.

Podcast

This report provides updated excerpts of health disparities and health equity language from Medicaid managed care contracts and requests for proposals from 15 states and the District of Columbia as well as the contract for California’s state-based marketplace, Covered California.

Brief

This guide describes recommended process steps for states to integrate a focus on health equity in their Medicaid managed care programs.

Blog

This blog post outlines the potential coverage gains, state cost savings, and improved health outcomes that would occur if the remaining 12 nonexpansion states extending their Medicaid programs in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. 

Commentary

This brief examines how New York is expanding changes to the race and ethnicity questions system-wide for the next open enrollment period and how the state is considering additional revisions in hopes of further enhancing the quality and completeness of its data.

Brief

This brief aims to assist state and federal analysts with survey development and/or analysis of existing survey data to generate estimates of health insurance coverage and access to care across racial and ethnic groups and according to nativity and/or immigrant status.

Brief

This issue brief outlines key priorities and considerations for modernizing Immunization Information Systems, including leveraging federal funding available to support these efforts.

Chart, Dataset, Graphic

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.

Blog

This blog examines how states and other stakeholders have another chance to weigh in on Tennessee’s 10-year Medicaid funding demonstration which was approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in early January during the final days of the Trump administration.

Blog

This blog post explores seven key considerations for health care organizations, Medicaid programs, and advocacy organizations to facilitate family engagement in program and policy design and implementation.

Commentary

This brief offers practical considerations to help health systems and provider practices incorporate a focus on racial equity to enhance trauma-informed care efforts.

Commentary

This op-ed argues for Medicaid Expansion in the North Carolina, highlighting the success Virginia had in extending access to health care through its expansion.

Commentary

09.2021 / By David Schaefer

This op-ed, authored by David Schaefer of the Georgia Budget Policy Institute, argues that closing the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia will also increase access to health care and strengthen health infrastructure in rural communities.

Commentary

This op-ed provides arguments for Medicaid expansion in Wyoming from the perspective of provider organizations.

Commentary

09.2021 / By April Holman

This op-ed argues the need for Kansas to expand its Medicaid program to close the "coverage gap".

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Alicia, whose Medicaid-assigned doula guided her through pregnancy while in incarceration and the birth of her son. 

Commentary

This commentary details how Oregon’s state employee health plan is implementing multiple approaches to contain high costs and ensure a level of predictability for its public employees and their health plan.

Brief

This case study examines how Alaska's state and tribal leaders co-led the COVID-19 vaccination effort including allocation, distribution, funding, and communication.

Brief

08.2021 / By Resources

This brief summarizes COVID-era changes and challenges for four major federal surveys—American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and National Health Interview Survey—and explains what effects these adaptations may have for understanding 2020 data as it becomes available.

TOPICS
Blog

The blog highlights updates to a compendium providing Medicaid agencies with examples of how different states are leveraging their managed care programs, inclusive of contracts, quality programs, and procurement processes, to promote health equity and address health disparities.

Blog, Commentary

This papers pulls together considerations and examples of best and promising practices for Governors, including building vaccine confidence through consistent, transparent and factual communication; establishing straightforward pathways for individuals to access vaccines; and, developing and streamlining sustainable systems to strategically allocate and distribute vaccines to rural and frontier populations.

TOPICS
Chart, Dataset

This interactive map highlights the status of individual state’s legislation to address health care costs in 2021.

Chart, Dataset

This interactive map displays the methods state of have developed, deployed, and adapted their contact tracing approaches in response to the pandemic. 

TOPICS
Brief, Report

08.2021 / By Urban Institute

This brief examines how several adults have gone without needed health care during the COVID-19 pandemic over concerns about being exposed to the novel coronavirus in hospitals, doctor’s and dentist’s offices, and other health care settings.

Chart, Dataset, Graphic

This chart presents the status of individual states’ efforts to ban or enforce private employer mandated vaccinations, mandates on vaccines for state employees and health workers, and vaccine passports.

Chart, Graphic

This National Academy for State Health Policy’s Appendix K interactive map, supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, tracks each state’s new flexibilities in modified 1915 (c) and 1115 waivers and includes information about flexibilities in COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Demonstration 1115 waivers.

Chart, Graphic

This chart presents information on the states banning vaccine mandates for students and those mandating that students and staff wear masks in schools.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar, cosponsored by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers’ National Center for Complex Health & Social Needs, will feature first-hand experiences and reflections from the field on recent innovations in complex care measurement.

Brief

This guide is comprised of three tools to help state officials with the language they use to discuss and write about race and health equity.

Brief

This issue brief outlines key barriers states face in their efforts to increase vaccination rates among BIPOC and highlights strategies states are pursuing in partnership with community-based organizations to address these challenges.

Blog, Commentary

This blog examines how the dramatic growth of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role of broadband access in ensuring that people can obtain healthcare services. 

Chart, Factsheet

These digital tools examine and compare physician acceptance of new Medicaid patients at the state level and by physician and practice characteristics.

Commentary

This brief summarizes the unique structure of Virginia’s equity work, the strategy and actions taken to date, and success factors and lessons learned.

TOPICS
Commentary

This commentary examines state action during the 2021 legislative session to address rising drug costs.

Blog

This memorandum identifies and describes several strategies states deployed to counter false information campaigns during the 2020 election and examines how they may augment states’ COVID-19 vaccine messaging efforts by building better public resilience to false information and restoring trust in official sources of information.

Chart

This map and chart describe each state’s latest emergency orders and actions designed to safeguard residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, including statewide mask requirements and travel advisories.

Chart, Dataset

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.

Report

This report highlights key findings from a survey, interviews, and literature scan to identify pathways to Medicaid leadership positions, challenges, and opportunities for developing a more diverse pool of future Medicaid executives, and the skills necessary to succeed in these roles.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar, hosted by the Center for Health Care Strategies with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will explore the need to transform child health care from three unique perspectives — a pediatrician, a family advocate, and a children’s health clinic director.

Report

This report examines how many immigrant families have avoided safety net and pandemic relief programs in recent years over concerns that their participation would have adverse immigration consequences.

Brief

This brief summarizes the unique structure of Virginia’s equity work, the strategy and actions taken to date, and success factors and lessons learned.

Webinar & Presentations

This presentation examines the affect of the COVID-19 pandemic on historically under-served populations and strategies to increase Medicaid outreach and enrollment within these communities.

Commentary

This commentary examines that in 2018, the United States had its first decline in drug overdose deaths in decades, with overall drug overdoses decreasing 4.1% from 2017. However, provisional data on overdose deaths released by the CDC indicate that drug overdose deaths rebounded in 2019, rising 4.6% over the previous year.

Blog

This blog examines how Minnesota’s Medicaid expansion was a crucial resource during the COVID-19 pandemic for those who lost their jobs and/or their employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. It is estimated that approximately 29,500 Minnesotans lost their private health insurance coverage between April 2020-July 2020.

Blog

This blog explains how several states have increased COVID-19 vaccine rollout over the past several months by expanding vaccine access to the general adult population and children over 12.

Podcast

This podcast describes how critical conversations about health equity can be productive when there is a shared and agreed-upon language amongst Medicaid agencies.

Podcast

This podcast describes how the past year has seen many sectors of health care increasingly pursue diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as health equity becomes a more prominent topic.

Report

This report assesses racial disparities in the quality of inpatient care using 11 patient safety indicators that measure rates of adverse patient safety events of hospital-acquired illnesses or injuries.

Report

This report examines how a public option that typically pays Medicare rates would considerably reduce the cost of increasing coverage in the Medicaid gap.

Commentary

This commentary explains how increased flexibility in the delivery and payment of telehealth across many coverage programs, but particularly in Medicaid and CHIP, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant shift for some states. Many state officials are considering if and how to adapt rapidly implemented telehealth policies as the nation emerges from the public health emergency. 

Commentary

This commentary examines how in late June, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its first proposed rule governing the health insurance markets and marketplaces.

Blog

This blog describes how the American Rescue Plan Act expanded access to affordable health insurance coverage in a variety of ways.

Commentary

This commentary explains how since March 2020, many states have rapidly leveraged federal and state flexibilities under the public health emergency to expand telehealth capabilities and reimbursement through both public and private payers.

Commentary

This commentary examines how Washington implemented the nation’s first public option for the 2021 plan year and in the first six months of 2021, states made significant progress in advancing public option proposals, with public option legislation advancing in Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon.

Podcast

This podcast covers how effective data measurement is critical for Medicaid programs seeking to advance health equity and better understand different experiences of populations served by the program.

Graphic

This graphic illustrates how federal guidance has prompted lawmakers in a number of states to introduce legislation prohibiting businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of work.

Commentary

This commentary explains the federal government’s goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90% by 2030, the CDC has identified two policy strategies that states can employ for HIV prevention – provision of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis medication and availability of Syringe Service/Exchange Programs.

Commentary

07.2021 /

This expert perspective summarizes the Interim Final Rule (IFR) of the No Surprises Act, the comprehensive federal law banning balance bills in emergency and certain non-emergency settings.

Commentary

This commentary analyzes how the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Treasury have released a proposed rule governing the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces and insurance standards for the plan year 2022.

Commentary

This commentary explains how rising health care costs and increased consolidation of hospitals and provider groups into large health systems have led states into exploring ways to contain costs and provide oversight of the growing market power of large hospitals.

Blog

This toolkit allows states to assess their existing health insurance rate review laws for the authority to regulate hospital cost growth; and proposes model statutory and regulatory text to provide a state insurance commissioner with the ability to condition health insurance rate approval on meeting affordability standards in hospital cost growth.

Report

This report examines how governments and organizations adopt community engagement approaches to collaborate and share power with communities that experience health inequities.

Report

This report examines the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to study the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health burdens for the United States’ adult population.

Commentary

This commentary examines how recent approval of the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm under the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Accelerated Approval Program is controversial for a range of reasons, including its projected impact on state Medicaid budgets which will be required to cover the drug, priced at $56,000 a year, despite inconclusive evidence of its clinical effectiveness. 

Graphic

This graphic illustrates how the racial inequities exposed by COVID-19’s case and death rates can guide states as they target testing initiatives, vaccination distribution, and broader initiatives to address inequities in communities of color.

Chart

This chart details the amounts and required oversight of COVID-19 federal funds allocated to hospitals, providers, and states by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Families First Act), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (HR 266), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Commentary

This commentary demonstrates how data analysis is an essential tool for advancing health and racial equity.

Blog

This blog explains the harm reduction public health approach that aims to reduce harms related to substance use by treating people with dignity and compassion.

Commentary

This commentary explains how substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health conditions are prevalent among pregnant and postpartum people in the United States, and they have far-reaching consequences for the health and well-being of parents and their children.

Report

This report describes how the US supply of COVID-19 vaccines has increased in recent months, and demand starting to level off most states were at or near having more vaccines available than people who want them as of May 2021.

Chart

This chart demonstrates how states are using a variety of approaches to provide doula services within their Medicaid programs to address inequities.

Commentary

This commentary explains that on June 17 the Supreme Court decisively rejected California v. Texas, the latest lawsuit before the Court that challenged the legality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Blog

This blog analyzes the accumulating evidence that the pandemic precipitated dangerous changes in the way people consume alcohol in the United States.

Commentary

This commentary explains how Medicaid leaders have significant opportunities to impact the health and well-being of millions but must balance a myriad of federal and state priorities related to fiscal stewardship, quality assurance, program integrity, and more.

Podcast

This podcast talks about the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuing recession, and amplification of issues related to health equity that have forced state Medicaid agencies to evaluate their budgets and investments to better serve Medicaid enrollees.

Blog

This blog post describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has created historically large disruptions to the economy and health insurance coverage at a time when having access to health care is especially important.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar will provide an overview of the request for applications for NASHP’s upcoming State Policy Academy on Rural Mental Health Crisis Services, which will help states strengthen policies and strategies that support development, coordination, and delivery of mental health crisis services in rural areas.

Brief

This brief describes Nevada's new public option that is intended to provide consumers with comprehensive, but lower cost health insurance.

Commentary

This commentary explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated adverse childhood experiences, and children could be facing a surge of poor physical and mental health outcomes without adequate investment and focus to reduce the effects of ACEs.

Blog

This blog post highlight's the Virginia Department of Medicaid Services' efforts, successes, and challenges in building a culture of equity.

Report

This report identifies challenges and promising strategies for addressing maternal health inequities during the COVID-19 crisis and opportunities for sustained improvements to maternal health after the pandemic.

Brief

This brief examines how public health activities in the United States are critical to disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health monitoring, and emergency preparedness.

Brief

This brief examines how state are shifting strategies to increase accessibility and engage communities with low COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Podcast

This podcast discusses how People who live in rural areas often experience health disparities caused by barriers to health care, such as lack of transportation, a shortage of providers, and closures of rural hospitals.

Blog, Commentary

This blog overviews the state strategies to help ensure the equitable administration of COVID-19 vaccine.

Blog

This blog highlights how state-based Marketplaces are launching integrated and innovative outreach campaigns—including tapping into existing public health and COVID-19 vaccination efforts—to reach residents and alert them to the fact that the American Rescue Plan Act provides more people than ever before with access to financial help to pay for health insurance.

Blog

This blog examines how the The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARP) — signed into law on March 11, 2021 – provides states with a one-year, 10 percentage-point increase to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid expenditures on home and community-based services (HCBS) for children and adults.

Blog

This article analyzes a key provision of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to the establishment of the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (Fiscal Recovery Funds) for the eligible state, local, territorial and Tribal governments (Recipients) to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).

Report

While more than half of US adults have received a COVID-19 vaccine, the slowing pace of vaccinations hampers efforts to contain the pandemic.

Report

This brief provides evidence on persistent chilling effects among low-income immigrant families during the pandemic, drawing on data from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey.

Blog

This blog will provide up-to-date information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment, spending, food and housing security, disruptions to education, physical and mental wellbeing, and health insurance and access to care.

Report

This report outlines promising state examples of accountable care organizations’ incentives or requirements that can be used to advance health equity.

Brief

This issue brief documents how states are collecting information about race, ethnicity, and language on their Medicaid applications.

Brief

This updated brief describes the American Rescue Plan Act’s home and community-based services enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) provision, CMS’s recent implementation guidance, and considerations and next steps for state policymakers.

Journal Article

This blog provides updates on the current COVID-19 vaccine incentives being utilized across the country.

Journal Article

This blog serves as a resource page providing policy options and considerations for states interested in improving access to high-quality mental health care for youth and adults.

Commentary

This article highlights NASHP’s Center for State Rx Drug Pricing five years of state action to lower drug costs.

Commentary

This blog outlines the Center for Health Care Strategies' recent interview with internist and pediatrician Nathan Chomilo, MD, Medical Director of Minnesota Medicaid and MinnesotaCare to get his perspectives on priority opportunities for addressing health equity for people served by the state’s Medicaid program.

Brief

This brief describes a process used to identify a set of patient- and staff-reported measures for the Advancing Integrated Models initiative, eight pilot sites implementing approaches that seek to improve integrated, person-centered care models for adults and children with complex health and social needs.

Commentary

This blog uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to illuminate the social barriers affecting the COVID-19 vaccine rollout by looking at vaccine hesitancy among U.S. adults (age 18 and older) for January – March 2021, by region, race/ethnicity, income, and reported reasons for hesitancy.

Graphic

This chart provides information on state and territorial plans for phased allocation of COVID-19 vaccines.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar explores state strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine confidence and reach more communities in an equitable and efficient manner.

Webinar & Presentations

This podcast features Lynnette Rhodes, executive director of medical assistance plans at the Georgia Department of Community Health, and Cindy Beane, commissioner at the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services, discussing leadership challenges and successes they have faced in developing equitable vaccine distribution strategies and the status of their respective states’ vaccine rollout.

Commentary

This commentary reviews provisions of the U.S. Departments of Health & Humans Services and Treasure final 2022 Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters of particular import to the state-based marketplaces and state insurance regulators.

Commentary

This brief analyses the state option established by the American Rescue Plan to provide community mobile crisis intervention services for a five-year period beginning in April 2022.

Commentary

This blog examines the pace of COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the United States as well as concerns that these early prioritization decisions and the existing mechanisms of the vaccine rollout have created challenges in equitably distributing the COVID-19 vaccine and could worsen existing pandemic-related health inequities. 

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar features early childhood and Medicaid experts highlighting efforts used to support young children with development and learning needs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary looks at what data states are publicly reporting related to vaccine administration and features an interactive map that explores the extent to which states are reporting vaccine administration data breakdowns by age, gender, race, ethnicity, provider type, and level of geography.

Report

This report examines evidence-based policymaking and how it can be improved.

Report

This report examines how the pandemic and related economic downturn affected the need for safety net supports; actions states are taking to mitigate the immense hardship the pandemic has caused; implications for racial equity; and challenges, opportunities, and questions facing state leaders.

Report

This report examines how state Medicaid and other health programs responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and its related economic downturn.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar is the second in a three-part webinar series focusing on opportunities for early childhood and Medicaid programs to better support families with young children in the current and post-pandemic environment.

TOPICS
Commentary

This commentary draws from examples of states participating in the Aligning Early Childhood and Medicaid program and additional states to explore strategies for leveraging cross-agency collaborations and strengthening Medicaid to support early childhood and parental mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and beyond.

Brief

This brief reviews the policy and operational considerations for states of the new option to extend postpartum coverage in the American Rescue Plan Act.

Brief

This brief summarizes the time frames for emergency measures for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Webinar & Presentations

This presentation outlines the key provisions of the Medicaid program.

Report

This report includes a collection of summarized evidence on how Medicaid can improve the health of states' residents and communities.

Brief

This brief highlights the stories of people who have benefited from Medicaid coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief

This brief highlights the stories of people with Down syndrome who have benefited from Medicaid coverage.

Brief

This brief highlights the stories of people with heart conditions who have benefited from Medicaid coverage.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Adrian, who serves as assistant director at a Medicaid-funded program to help youth and families receive critical services.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Nancy, whose Medicaid coverage allowed her to access mental health care to manage past trauma.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Naomi, whose Medicaid coverage helps provide critical services for her son born with chronically and medically complex conditions.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Maddy, who was born with Asperger syndrome and whose Medicaid coverage helps provide transportation to her two part-time jobs.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Nicholas, who was born with autism and whose Medicaid coverage helps with household services and transportation to his job.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Silvia, who created a therapy organization in her rural community that provides services to Medicaid populations.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Maria, whose Medicaid coverage helps her to provide critical services to her daughter born with Down syndrome and other medical conditions.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Ben, born with cerebral palsy, whose Medicaid coverage has helped him access a wheelchair and other essential equipment.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Brook, whose Medicaid coverage helps her provide critical services for her son born with cystic fibrosis.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Matthew, who was born with Down syndrome and whose Medicaid coverage helps him to live an independent life.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar explores practical strategies to assess and address hunger needs faced by families during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, including leveraging early childhood systems and the Help Me Grow system model to address child food insecurity.

Report

This report describes trends and variation in alcohol-involved death rates at the state and national levels and among demographic subgroups using vital statistics data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2006 to 2019.

Brief

This toolkit outlines template language that state-based marketplaces can adapt and use in consumer-facing communications regarding new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) information about how consumers can receive relief from repayment of excess advance premium tax credits for 2020 under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Report

This report describes the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) Medicaid matching rate provision and also assesses its fiscal impact for each of the states that have not yet expanded Medicaid, while comparing the available new federal dollars to the cost of expansion.

Brief

This brief seeks to show the maximum potential impact of the American Rescue Plan Act's (ARPA) enhanced marketplace subsidies on health insurance coverage by modeling the new subsides as if they were permanent changes.

Report

This report assesses how material hardship changed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, between December 2019 and December 2020.

TOPICS
Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Laticia, who grew up in the foster care system and was able to access Medicaid coverage that helped her get the mental health care she needed.

Commentary

This commentary highlights the need for states and localities to align varied federal funding streams to maximize effectiveness and sustainability.

This journal article describes patterns of perinatal uninsurance and health outcomes of women experiencing uninsurance.

Report

This report describes nonelderly adults’ perceptions of discrimination and unfair judgment while seeking health care in the months leading up to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Kerstin, who was born with cerebral palsy and relies on Medicaid coverage for her extensive medical needs.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Juan, who was born with cerebral palsy and whose Medicaid coverage helps him to work and live an independent life.

Commentary

This commentary features discussions with several state Medicaid officials to learn more about how their agencies—and specifically their Medicaid managed care organizations—are leveraging partnerships and data to advance their vaccination efforts.

Report

This report highlights state-level strategies that aim to improve reporting of race and ethnicity data in vaccine distribution, use data to plan for allocation and distribution according to need, overcome systemic inequities that lead to differential access to COVID-19 vaccinations, and build trust in COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 vaccination processes.

Commentary

This commentary outlines how vaccinating children against COVID-19 will be crucial to reaching herd immunity in the United States.

Brief

This brief describes the American Rescue Plan Act's home- and community-based services federal medical assistance percentage increase provision, the requirements for states receiving the enhanced federal funding, and considerations and next steps for state policymakers.

Report

This report investigates differences in Black and white patient safety measures using complete hospital discharge records from 26 states in 2017 and further examines whether some of these differences in patient safety quality can be attributed to the hospitals into which they are admitted.

Report

This report outlines key factors for governors and state leaders to consider when balancing state budgets and making difficult decisions about funding Medicaid during the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent economic downturn.

Commentary

This commentary details how states are responding to racial and ethnic disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how states are looking beyond the pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Matthew, who was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and whose Medicaid coverage has many covered medical and behavioral needs.

Commentary

This brief summarizes the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.

Brief

This brief provides updates to Medicaid Managed Care Contract Language: Health Disparities and Health Equity, published by SHVS which includes excerpts from managed care contracts, procurement questions, and other policy documents from twelve states and the District of Columbia.

Report

This report uses data from the Urban Institute's 2020 Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey (WBNS), a nationally representative survey of more than 7,500 adults ages 18 to 64, to examine charitable food use (defined as the use of free groceries or free meals) in 2020. 

Report

This paper shares strategies that governors and other state leaders can pursue to expand access to data and technology to improve public health. 

Report

This report analyzes states’ experiences trying to resolve surprise medical payment disputes between health care providers and insurers.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar offers insights and solutions for health care organizations and government entities to build effective partnerships with the individuals and communities they serve to better address their health and social needs.

Brief

This series of policy briefs include evidence-based recommendations to help people through the immediate health and economic crises and longer-term recommendations to ensure a fair and just opportunity for health.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of John, whose emergency surgery for a hernia was covered by Medicaid.

Commentary

This commentary provides an overview of the states introducing legislation to prevent employers from mandating their employees get vaccinated against COVID-19.

TOPICS
Commentary

This commentary provides an overview of new and emerging best practices for vaccinating individuals in homeless shelters which may help states more efficiently vaccinate other hard-to-reach or medically vulnerable populations, such as those living in rural areas or congregate settings.

Commentary

This commentary examines how the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine can aid vaccine distribution, but must have stronger messaging surrounding its efficacy.

Brief

This brief uses data from the Minnesota Department of Health to show how insurance rates in the state were relatively unchanged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar addresses key provisions of the American Rescue Plan package, the $1.9 trillion budget reconciliation package signed into law by President Biden on March 11.

Report

This analysis examines historic vaccination patterns among adults using data from the 2016-18 National Health Interview Survey.

Commentary

This commentary discusses the importance of health care organizations and county health agencies elevating the voices of formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities.

Commentary

This commentary provides an interview with two individuals leading an organization in Los Angeles that is providing care to justice-involved individuals by recruiting people with lived experience.

Commentary

This commentary outlines how a health system in Minneapolis worked to increase Somali engagement with behavioral health services.

Report

This report shares considerations for health care organizations and government entities seeking to build effective partnerships with the individuals and communities they serve to better address their health and social needs.

Report

This report highlights a program in Tennessee as a model of success for taking on adverse childhood events (ACEs).

Dataset

This toolkit looks at Medicaid enrollment trends from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic through January 2021.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Robert, who was able to recover from addiction and receive mental health care services through Medicaid.

Commentary

This commentary presents top-level findings from new data on vaccination rates among U.S. adults living in households.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar features discussions on how states can use performance rates and disparities analyses from Medicaid managed care programs in other states to determine where disparities are likely to exist in their own state and develop interventions.

Report

This report provides excerpts of health disparities and health equity contract language from Medicaid managed care contracts and requests for proposals from 12 states and the District of Columbia as well as the contract for California’s state-based marketplace, Covered California.

Commentary

This commentary outlines four recommendations for states to engage their managed care plans to assist in efforts to successfully and rapidly vaccinate the Medicaid population for COVID-19.

Report

This report explores vaccine hesitancy among nonelderly adults with new data from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Theresa, who was able to care for her daughter's health needs as she transitioned to a new job.

Brief

This toolkit outlines state options to address Medicaid spending without harming enrollee health and provider stability and access to care.

Report

This report examines delayed or forgone care during the pandemic for nine types of health care services and assesses patterns by race/ethnicity, income, and the presence of physical and mental health conditions.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Kaui, whose daughter's complex medical needs were covered by a Medicaid waiver that allowed the family to access a health aide, ventilator, and other essential care services.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Michael, who supported his family with Medicaid coverage after 26 years as an educator with employer-sponsored insurance.

Commentary

This commentary discusses the importance of waiving costs for COVID-19 testing.

Commentary

This commentary outlines how state officials are working to simultaneously build and strengthen systems to track and address disparities in COVID-19 vaccine administration.

Report

02.2021 / By Milbank Memorial Fund

This issue brief summarizes the current landscape of payment reform initiatives addressing social determinants of health.

Brief

This brief draws its key findings from the Michigan Coronavirus Racial Disparities Interim Report and other sources to explore Michigan’s approach, key features, results to date, and lessons learned.

Report

02.2021 / By Urban Institute

This report examines primary care physician responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

TOPICS
Commentary

02.2021 / By Urban Institute

This commentary outlines how high-quality race and ethnicity data on COVID-19 vaccine distribution is crucial for equitable vaccine distribution.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Jamie, whose daughter was born with a genetic syndrome that led to complex medical needs. Medicaid covers her daughter's health needs so that she is able to continue living at home with her family.

Webinar & Presentations

In this video, speakers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI) discuss ways NHSPI can be used to guide change, the role geographic differences play in preparedness levels, how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed health inequities, and much more.

Commentary

This commentary discusses the results of the Household Pulse Survey, which was produced by the U.S. Census Bureau regarding COVID-19 vaccines.

TOPICS
Report

This report discusses the states who are are reporting setting-specific COVID-19 outbreaks as of November 2020 and highlights promising examples that others can look to as they consider adapting and expanding COVID-19 reporting.

Brief

This brief estimates estimate the chilling effects on public program participation because of green card concerns and because of broader immigration concerns among adults in immigrant families.

Commentary

This commentary discusses why states are beginning to include children in their vaccination distribution plans.

Commentary

This commentary provides an updated view of the current state budget landscape and examines in greater detail the health care implications of choices states made to address deficits and balance their budgets in the face of the severe budget shortfalls they confronted for fiscal year 2021.

Report

This report assesses awareness of and experiences with publicly subsidized coverage options among adults who were uninsured in September 2020.

Report

This brief provides a high-level summary of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance related to: (1) conducting redeterminations for Medicaid enrollees who were continuously enrolled; (2) terminating, or extending where appropriate, temporary flexibilities; and (3) developing a consumer and provider communication strategy.

Commentary

This commentary examines the extent to which all 50 states are reporting vaccine administration data breakdowns by age, gender, race, ethnicity, provider type, and level of geography.

Report

This report describes a model estimating program spending and out-of-pocket spending by Medicare Advantage enrollees at the county level using plan-level and county-level data sources from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Report

This report identifies six connected strategies to guide payers, including Medicaid agencies and managed care organizations, in developing equity-focused value-based payment approaches to mitigate health disparities at the state and local levels.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Nicole. Nicole has autism, anxiety, and a number of other health challenges, which Medicaid helps her manage so she can work.

Report

This report provides nationally representative estimates of telehealth use among nonelderly adults six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, as of September 2020.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Maria and her son Tyler. Tyler was diagnosed with Sotos syndrome shortly after his birth, a condition that can result in overgrowth and delayed development.

Report

This report describes how the COVID-19 pandemic financially affected five safety net hospitals as of summer 2020, including the costs of preparing for and operating during the pandemic, the pandemic’s impact on their revenues, the federal financial relief they have received, and implications for policy and practice.

Commentary

This commentary discusses the experiences of two physicians treating people with opioid use disorder (OUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graphic

This chart shows how each state is prioritizing populations in its vaccination distribution plans.

Report

01.2021 / By Urban Institute

This brief uses new data from the second wave of the Urban Institute’s Coronavirus Tracking Survey, conducted September 11 through 28, 2020, to explore the pandemic’s impact on housing stability and renters’ vulnerability to eviction.

Brief

This report explores flu vaccination rates across multiple years for U.S. adults across the 50 states and the District of Columbia as a proxy to identify population subgroups that may be harder to reach with a COVID-19 vaccine.

Commentary

01.2021 / By That's Medicaid

This commentary tells the story of Jessica, a mother who contracted cytomegalovirus which resulted in her daughter Natalie being born with a disability. 

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar features experts reviewing the provisions of the No Surprises Act and implications for states, providing an overview of the next steps for implementing the federal balance billing protections and what the law will mean for state-level protections.

Report

This report describes the methodology of the Health Insurance Policy Simulation model and presents the model’s 2020 current-law baseline, which reflects health care and coverage after 2020 Open Enrollment and before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary analyzes the indirect costs of rising health care spending and uninsurance in the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and examines trends as well as comparisons across race/ethnicity and educational attainment.

Journal Article

01.2021 / By Health Affairs

This blog post examines early evidence regarding health care spending, utilization, employment, and prices for 2020, and looks at how COVID-19 might affect these indicators going forward.

Commentary

This commentary explores the impact of Medicaid expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated job losses.

Commentary

This commentary explores states' approaches to contact tracing during the pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary explores the high levels of profitability insurers have seen in 2020. 

Commentary

This commentary explores Michigan’s efforts in improving access and adherence to asthma medications and devices, as well as promoting the use of evidence-based interventions to improve access to important asthma devices and services.

Commentary

This commentary explores Utah’s Medicaid and public health partnership and its efforts to expand Medicaid coverage of the state’s asthma home visiting program.

Brief

This brief summarizes key learnings from conversations with 50 leaders of state Medicaid programs across 14 states about implementing strategies to improve consumer engagement in policy and program planning.

Commentary

This commentary reviews the key features of the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation Model, an initiative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and outlines considerations for states.

Report

This report uses data from the most recent wave of the Coronavirus Tracking Survey to examine food insecurity among families with school-age children six months into the pandemic.

Report

This report uses data from the most recent wave of the Coronavirus Tracking Survey to assess food insecurity and other key indicators of material hardship and well-being among families with young children.

Commentary

This commentary examines unique strategies states are developing to support the health needs of children and youth with special health care needs who lack access to their usual school-based physical, developmental, and mental health supports. 

Brief

This brief explores the key challenges faced by the rural ambulatory safety net in delivering primary care and behavioral health services since COVID-19 and the policy changes that have been implemented in response.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Brianna, who signed up for Medicaid in 2016 and was able to receive diagnostic procedures that eventually determined that she suffers from endometriosis and fibromyalgia.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Leah, who runs an organization to help many low-income Medicaid recipients in her community with needed services.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Maria.  When her son Tyler was diagnosed with Sotos syndrome shortly after his birth, his parents signed up for Medicaid through assistance at the hospital and the program has supported him since.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Jessica. While pregnant she contracted cytomegalovirus and it resulted in her daughter Natalie being born with a disability.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Chrystal.  Medicaid was her only option for health coverage when she was a full-time student in Milwaukee, but she was almost denied it when her scholarships and education grants were counted as income.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Aliyah. A college graduate and social worker in her mid-20s, spent part of her youth in the Louisiana foster care system, which allowed her to access Medicaid services.

Report

This report draws on interviews with maternal care stakeholders and available literature and reports to assess if and how our current data systems provide the information needed to track inequities in maternal health outcomes.

Report

This report explores how the pandemic contributed to inequitable patient and provider experiences with maternal health care during the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum periods.

Report

This report examines the impact of COVID-19 on essential and nonessential workers needing to work in person at even higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and the need for policies and systems to protect and support them.

Report

This report on the opioid crisis examines wide-ranging unmet community needs and service system limitations, often tied to historical policy failures and/or regional economic challenges.

Commentary

This commentary describes the legal authority that permits states to continue to authorize Medicaid reimbursement for audio-only telehealth after the public health emergency ends.

Commentary

This commentary focuses on several provisions of the proposed 2022 “Notice of Benefit & Payment Parameters" that have implications for state oversight of insurance markets and the state-based marketplaces.  

Commentary

This commentary explores the ways in which states are working to confront long-standing racial and ethnic disparities that the COVID-19 pandemic is laying bare.

Commentary

This commentary explores what states have learned during the COVID-19 health crisis that could improve their long-term services and supports programs during and beyond the pandemic.

Report

This report seeks to identify ways in which the opioid crisis is affecting children in families touched by drug use; how parents or caregivers could be better supported; and how service providers and systems could better support families. 

Commentary

This conversation explores the ways in which Louisiana continues to provide harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief

This brief explores impediments and accelerants to advancing health equity as states are increasingly being called upon to drive change.

Brief

This brief explores the shares of a typical nongroup insurance premium attributable to essential health benefits and estimates the financial implications should they be eliminated from the nongroup insurance benefit package.

Report

This report describes emerging opportunities and contributing success factors for advancing multi-sector data-sharing partnerships to improve health and well-being and advance equity.

Brief

This brief explores the ways in which public and private health insurance coverage options bolstered by the Affordable Care Act are mitigating the impact of employer-sponsored insurance losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Report

This report explores key considerations and outlines promising tactics for states to use in evaluating new Medicaid policies.

Commentary

This commentary examines state-based health insurance marketplaces' efforts to actively connect consumers to health insurance coverage during the annual open enrollment period that launched Nov. 1. 

Webinar & Presentations

This tool helps states gather detailed information from hospitals about their community benefit expenditures and activities during the pandemic.

Webinar & Presentations

This map current state activity related the Affordable Care Act’s Section 1332 waivers.

Webinar & Presentations

This podcast explores strategies public-sector leaders have implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Webinar & Presentations

This guide provides answers to frequently asked questions about selecting and using health insurance coverage and applying for financial help for 2021's open enrollment period.

Commentary

This commentary explores recent federal efforts to expand private insurance coverage of a COVID-19 vaccine, and provides a roadmap for states to close remaining coverage gaps that could inhibit vaccine uptake.

Commentary

This commentary considers ways states could potentially redirect insurers’ extra cash to benefit policyholders and the public.

Report

This report examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has forced health systems, including perinatal services and support providers, to rely on telehealth, or the remote provision of care through telecommunications technology, to reach their clients.

Report

This report explores the strengths and deficiencies of maternal health care financing in the United States and the ways current policies and practices contribute to inequitable maternal health outcomes.

Report

This report uses data from September 11–28, 2020 to compare food insecurity in September with levels earlier in the pandemic after major relief legislation was passed.

Report

This report assesses how adults and their families were faring six months into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Report

This report explores the ways in which Medicaid and CHIP largely transfer funding from higher-income states to lower-income states.

Brief

This brief explores the ways in which various organizations worked together to improve access to and use of tobacco cessation benefits among Minnesota's Medicaid population with the goal of reducing commercial tobacco use in this population.

Webinar & Presentations

This podcast episode examines how good public administration works applies in practice, featuring the experiences of two Medicaid directors.

Report

This report examines children’s unmet health care needs during the pandemic and identifies strategies to address these gaps, as well as barriers to widespread implementation of these strategies.

Commentary

This commentary explores the importance of clearly communicating to consumers what health coverage options are available for the remainder of 2020 and heading into 2021. 

Commentary

This commentary explores the complex question of which health care payers will cover the costs of COVID-19 vaccine administration.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Susan, who enrolled in Medicaid after losing her job of 21 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief

This brief explores the response to the COVID-19 crisis, taking stock of what we have learned and how we have changed.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Estie, whose lifesaving care was covered by Medicaid when her lungs collapsed when she was three months old.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Gene. After an accident left him quadriplegic at age 17, Medicaid covers needed help with his daily activities.

Webinar & Presentations

This podcast episode focuses on how vision and purpose, communication, planning for action, and balancing political and strategic agility apply in practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commentary

This commentary discusses how, as development of a COVID-19 vaccine continues, states are racing to develop vaccine distribution plans.

Commentary

This commentary covers how states are working to ensure equitable distribution of resources and funding to promote health and safety for all during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brief

This brief provides an introduction to screening for social risk factors, the first step most states are taking through their Medicaid managed care programs to address how social determinants of health influence enrollees' health status and spending.

Report

This report examines how Medicaid agencies in 40 states select managed care organizations to contract with, how contract terms are set, and how performance is evaluated.

Journal Article

10.2020 / By Health Affairs

This blog describes some of the limited actions states may take to alleviate fiscal pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the management of their contracts with Medicaid managed care organizations.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Milly, whose Medicaid coverage provided the care she needed to get through her breast cancer diagnosis.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Raevin, whose daughter's medical issues were covered by Medicaid.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of an innovative program in Oregon that provides Medicaid and low-income patients access to healthy produce from local farms.

Dataset

This toolkit provides a detailed look at 2020 Medicaid enrollment trends, including enrollment details by state across four eligibility categories.

Brief

This brief reviews the evidence on how the Affordable Care Act has affected individual and family health care coverage, access, affordability, hospital finances and national health expenditures.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Steve and Erin, whose growing family was covered by Medicaid while Steve studied to become a pastor.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Kile, who manages his developmental disabilities with the support of services covered by Medicaid.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Susie and her daughter Tymia, who has sickle cell disease. Medicaid covers Tymia's prescription drugs and life-saving surgeries.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of John, a counselor for a nonprofit AIDS support organization. Medicaid helps cover his HIV medication as well as manage his diabetes, lupus, and heart problems.

Commentary

This commentary tells the story of Latrice, an early learning educator, and her daughter Makayla, who was born with heart complications. Medicaid serves as secondary insurance for the first year of Makayla's life.

Webinar & Presentations

This webinar explores the Buying Value suite of resources to support states' use of performance measures as they assess and improve value with managed care plans and accountable provider entities. 

Brief

This brief considers how a Supreme Court ruling overturning the Affordable Care Act would affect average people and illustrative, hypothetical families in different circumstances.

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