Weekly Updates

• SHVS Resources on Health Equity and COVID-19
• State Updates: AZ, CO, DE, LA, ME, MI, NC, NE, NM, NY, OH, OR, TX & WV
• Webinar: COVID-19 and Coverage Options
• Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Hispanic Adults
• COVID-19 Recession and Health Insurance Coverage
• Maternal Health and COVID-19
• Rural Health and COVID-19

• SHVS COVID-19 Webinars
• Additional SHVS Resources
• State Updates: AZ, CA, CO, MA, NH, NJ, PA, RI, VA, & WA
• New SHVS Webinar: Health Equity & COVID-19
• Webinar: Preparing for the Post-COVID-19 World
• Surprise Billing and COVID-19 Treatment

• New SHVS COVID-19 Resources
• State Updates: COVID-19 State Updates: CA, CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MT, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, WA, WI
• Other State Updates: MN
• New SHVS Webinar: COVID-19 & Medicaid Managed Care Performance
• Coordinating Care for Incarcerated During COVID-19
• Supporting Out-of-Hospital Births to Protect Moms and Babies and Reduce Hospital Strain

• Additions to SHVS COVID-19 Resource Page
• Federal Funding Opportunities
• COVID-19 State Updates: AZ, MA, ME, MI, MN, NJ, OR, TX, WA
• Other State Updates: LA, TN
• Impact on Access to Care and Economic Opportunities for Communities of Color
• Blueprint from Washington State to Respond to COVID-19
• Stemming the Risk of Disability Bias During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Additions to SHVS COVID-19 Resource Page
• New CMS Rules and Guidance
• SAMHSA Emergency Grant
• COVID-19 State Updates: ID, MA, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NY, WA, WI
• Other State Updates: CA, NJ
• Eligibility for Coverage and COVID-19
• Impact on Access to Food for Older Adults
• COVID-19 Changes to HCBS Using Appendix K

• New SHVS Resource Page on COVID-19
• SHVS COVID-19 Webinar
• Affordable Care Act Anniversary
• COVID-19 State Updates: CA, CO, DE, FL, IA, IL, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OR, SC, TX, WA
• Other State Updates: NE, FL, SC
• Hospital Readiness for COVID-19
• Maternal and Infant Mortality in Medicaid

• SHVS Webinar on COVID-19
• ACA 10th Anniversary
• COVID-19 State Updates: DC, FL, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NV, PA, RI, WA
• Other State Updates: ME, OK
• Protecting the Vulnerable During a Pandemic
• COVID-19 Crisis Communications Guide

• SHVS Expert Perspective on COVID-19
• CMS FAQ on COVID-19
• Future COVID-19 Updates
• COVID-19 State Updates: AZ, CA, CO, FL, MA, MI, NJ, NM, OR, WA
• Other State Updates: CO, OK, OR
• Webinar: Responding to COVID-19
• Webinar: Healthy Adult Opportunity Medicaid Demonstration
• Waiving Cost-sharing Requirements for COVID-19 Testing and Care
• SHVS Resources on Medicaid’s Role in Addressing Maternal Health

• States Respond to COVID-19
• Texas ACA Court Case
• State Updates: AZ, MD, MI, NM, OR & WA
• Webinar: Medicaid and Maternal Mortality
• New Learning Hub on Managed Care
• Fiscal Impact of Medicaid Capped Funding Demonstrations
• Discussing Racial Disparities

• Updated SHVS Resource Page on Public Charge
• State Updates: CO, MI, MO, NH, NJ, NY, RI & WA
• Webinar: Medicaid and Maternal Mortality
• Effects of Medicaid expansion in Michigan
• Creating Meaningful Consumer Engagement in Medicaid
• Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in Children and Families

• New SHVS Resource on Public Charge
• State Updates: CA, ID, NJ, NY, PA & RI
• New SHVS Webinar: Medicaid’s Role in Maternal Mortality
• Risks and Challenges of Adopting a State-Based Marketplace
• Successful Partnerships for Integrating Care
• Rural Hospital Closures

• SHVS Expert Perspective on Proposed 2021 NBPP
• ACS Data and Social Determinants of Health
• State Updates: GA, MD, MI, NY, OH, PA & VA
• CO and WA Governors Discuss Public Options
• Measuring the Impact of Trauma-Informed Primary Care
• Improving Social Needs Intervention Research

• SHVS Capped Medicaid Funding Resources
• ACA Open Enrollment
• State Updates: CA, CO, DE, DC, LA, NJ, TN & WV
• Evaluating SUD Waivers
• Mapping Childhood Opportunity
• Fast-tracking Medicaid Enrollment

• CMS Guidance on Capped Medicaid Funding
• Public Charge Rule Moving Forward
• State Updates: HI, IL, NC, NV, NY & OR
• 2021 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters
• Advancing the Health Sector’s Role in Housing
• Data on Maternal Mortality in the U.S.

• New SHVS Publication on Supportive Housing
• State Updates: AZ, CA, CO, CT, NJ & PA
• Variations in C-section Rates
• State of Babies 2019 Yearbook
• Examining Bundled Payments

• Proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Rule
• State Updates: IL, KY, NH, NJ, OK, VA & WY
• New SHVS Publication on Supportive Housing
• Marketplace Premiums and Insurer Participation
• Medicaid Expansion and Opioid Overdose Mortality

• Final Weekly Enrollment Snapshot
• State Updates: ID, KS, ME, MI, NJ & WA
• How States Compare on Addressing Affordability
• Top Ten Health Insurance Policy Issues to Watch in 2020

• ID and UT Expand Medicaid
• State Updates: AK, CA, DE, MD, MN, NM, NV, & PA
• Building Partnerships with Families
• Convening a Consumer Advisory Board
• Guide to Becoming an Equity-focused Health Department

• Ruling in Texas v. Azar
• Health Policy in Federal Spending Bill
• Exchange Program Integrity Rule
• State Updates: CA, KY, MA, NE, NV, PA & VA
• Implementing a Statewide Health Care Cost Benchmark
• Interactive Childhood Obesity Data
• New Medicaid and CHIP Data Book Published

• Impact of Health Insurance Coverage on Mortality
• State Updates: CO, MI, NH, NY, PA, SC, VA & WA
• Rise of Uninsurance in Young Kids
• Medicaid MCOs as Agents of Payment Reform
• Top State Network Resources in 2019

• 2018 National Health Care Spending
• Catalyst for Payment Reform Virtual Summit
• State Updates: LA, ME, MI, MN, OR, PA, VT & VA
• CMS Beneficiary Engagement Toolkit
• Improving Care for Children in Foster Care

• New SHVS Expert Perspective on Standardized Plans
• State Updates: CO, CT, ID, NC, NJ, PA & WI
• Implementing ASAM Criteria for SUD Treatment
• Leveraging Medicaid MCOs in Payment Reform
• Evaluating Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver Demonstrations
• Stabilizing Individual Health Insurance Markets

• CMS Announces Price Transparency Rules
• State Updates: DE, ME, MN, NC, PA, RI, UT, WV, & WY
• SUD Toolkit for Medicaid Leaders
• Consumer Engagement Driving Change in Medicaid
• Impact of Medicaid Block Grants on Community Health Center Revenues

• CMS Releases T-MSIS Data
• Webinar: Standardized Designs Through State Marketplaces
• State Updates: CO, DC, GA, IN, ME, NJ, OH, PA & UT
• 2020 Marketplace Premium Changes by County
• Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Premature Deaths
• Practical Solutions for Serving Complex Populations

• Open Enrollment Began Last Week
• State Updates: CA, GA, ID, NY, OR, TN & TX
• Webinar: Standardizing Health Plan Benefit Design
• Updated Navigator Resource Guide
• Comparing Latest Estimates of Uninsured
• Addressing Rural Health Care Needs

• Public Charge Final Rule FAQ
• CMS Announces Average Premium Drop
• State Updates: AZ, CT, MA, NE, NJ, NY, OK, OR, PA & WA
• Webinar: Standardizing Health Plan Benefit Design
• County-level Look at Volatility of the Individual Market
• Provider Consolidation and Health Care Costs

• Immigration and Health Care Proclamation
• State Updates: CT, NC, NY, PA, TX, VA & WA
• Medicaid MCOs and Health Equity
• Standardizing Health Plan Benefit Design
• New Data on Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Results from 50-state Medicaid Budget Survey

• New SHVS Webinar on Standardized Plans
• State Updates: CO, DE, NJ, NM, NY, PA, & WI
• Medicaid MCOs and Health Equity Webinar
• Standardizing Health Plan Benefit Design in the Individual Market: Opportunities and Implications
• Report on Transitioning to a State-based Marketplace
• Call for Papers on ACA Implementation in the States

• Executive Order on Medicare
• HHS Wellness Project
• State Updates: CO, ID, NJ, NY, OH, OR, TN & UT
• Webinar: Medicaid MCOs and Health Equity
• Strengthening Medicaid’s Access to Care for CSHCN
• Politico Pulse Check Podcast: Adam Boehler
• Lessons from CDC’s 6|18 Initiative

• Health Equity Webinar Recap
• State Updates: CT, MD, ME, MI, PA, & WI
• New Coverage Data from Census Bureau
• Kentucky’s Medicaid Work Requirements
• Health-Care Led Jail Reentry Pilot

• CMS Planning Grant Awards for SUD
• State Updates: CO, DC, NJ, NY, NC, RI, PA, TN & WA
• Individual Marketplace Trends by County
• Behavioral Health Provider Participation in Medicaid Value-Based Payment Models
• New Resource on Surprise Medical Bills  

• SHVS Q&A on Medicaid Coverage for Justice-involved Populations
• Census Bureau Insurance Coverage Report
• State Updates: MI, MT, NV, WA, WV & WI
• New SHVS Health Equity Webinar
• Colorado Medicare Price Report
• Engaging Consumers in Care

• Public Charge Webinar Recap
• Funding to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
• State Updates: AZ, FL, HI, IL, OK & PA
• Addressing Health-related Social Needs
• Meaningful Hospital Community Investments
• Improving Rural Maternal Health Access

• Health Equity Webinar Recap
• Health Care Affordability Forum
• State Updates: FL, ID, ME, PA, RI & VA
• Public Charge Rule Webinar
• Drivers of Health Literature Review
• TennCare’s Episodes Payment Model

• Health and Human Services SUD Fact Sheet
• State Updates: AZ, CO, DE, GA, MT & NJ
• Webinar: Evidence-Based Strategies for Reducing Health Disparities
• Webinar: Final Public Charge Rule
• Access to OUD Treatments
• Working with CBOs

• Final Public Charge Rule Released
• State Updates: DE, LA, MN, NJ, NY, OR, & TX
• Webinar: Strategies to Reduce Health Disparities
• Webinar: Final Public Charge Rule Implications
• Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance
• State Opportunities to Support Family Caregivers
• Effects of Medicaid Expansion under ACA

• CMS Bulletin on ABP Benchmark Plans
• State Updates: DE, IL, KY, LA, MT, NE, NY, OR & WV
• Evidence-Based Strategies for Reducing Health Disparities
• Surprise Medical Bills: State Considerations
• State Trends in the Opioid Crisis
• Increasing Rural Health Department Capacity to Address SDOH

• Price Transparency Proposed Rule
• CMS Partial Medicaid Expansion Statement
• State Updates: CO, LA, MN, ND, NV, NH, UT, VA, WA & WY
• Medicaid Waivers with Housing Supports
• ROI Calculator for SDOH
• Pediatric Mental Health Care in the Emergency Department

• Federal Drug Pricing Efforts
• State Updates: AZ, CA, CO, IN, MI, MO, NH & TX
• Health Equity for Kids
• Non-emergency Medical Transportation

• CMS Releases 1332 Checklists and Templates
• CHIP Scorecard Update
• State Updates: DE, ID, NJ, NY, OR, RI & WV
• Coverage Parity for MH and SUD
• Webinar on Supportive Housing
• State-level Data on the Opioid Epidemic

• Affordable Care Act Litigation
• SHVS Managed Care Webinar
• State Updates: AZ, CA, DE, NH, NJ, OR, PA & RI
• Surprise Medical Billing
• Impact of Integrated Medicaid Managed Care
• Medicaid Pharmacy Programs

• CMS Funding Opportunity for SUD Treatment
• State Updates: LA, MA, ME, MT, NE, NJ, NY, & PA
• Individual Market Performance This Year
• Supporting Kids’ Social and Emotional Development
• RWJF Annual Message: Housing and Health

• New RWJF/Vox Medicaid Video Series
• SHVS Webinars
• Drivers of Health
• State Updates: DE, MD, MN, MT, NC, TX, & WA
• New Research on Work Requirements and Community Engagement
• Patient Engagement Strategies

• HRA rule
• MACPAC Report to Congress
• State Updates: DC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, SC & WA
• Precarious Work Schedules of Medicaid Beneficiaries
• Supporting Families with Young Children

• Telling the Stories of Medicaid
• New SHVS Publication: Measuring Health Disparities
• SHVS Buying Value Benchmark Repository
• State Updates: CO, DC, DE, ME, ND, NJ, OR, PA, TX, VA, & WI
• State Health Care Transformation with Federal Support
• Improving Dental Health for Rural Kids

• New CMS Podcast Episode, Funding Opportunity
• State Updates: AL, CA, CT, CO, FL, MD, MN, & NM
• New SHVS Webinar: Health Equity & Managed Care
• Work Requirements Targets Face Barriers
• Early Childhood Briefing Series
• Enhancing Access to Family Planning in Medicaid

• New Medicaid Podcast
• State Updates: CT, CO, MD, ME, MI, OR & WA
• Webinar - Connecting Justice-Involved Pop. to Medicaid
• Monitoring and Evaluating Work Requirements
• Medicaid Expansion and Maternal and Child Health
• Extending VBP Models Into Medicaid Drug Purchasing

• CMS Issues Guidance on Calculating Spread Pricing in Medicaid
• Department of Labor Issues Guidance on AHP Court Decision
• State Updates: MD, MT, NV, NH, NM, OR & WA
• Webinar: Strategies for Connecting Justice-Involved Populations to Medicaid
• Case Study: NY’s Surprise Billing Law
• Webinar: Addressing Transportation to Improve Community Health
• Behavioral Health Coverage in Medicaid Managed Care

• CDC Report on Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
• State Updates: AR, CA, IA, IN, NE, NJ, NY & WA
• Upcoming SHVS Webinar on Serving Justice-involved Populations
• Individual Insurance Market Performance in 2018
• States Protect Against Short-Term Health Plans
• Health Care’s Role in Social Interventions

• State Updates: AZ, CO, ME, MT, NC, NJ, TX & WA
• RFI for Section 1332 Waivers
• FAQs on Blueprint application process
• Trends and Disparities in Children’s Health Insurance
• Achieving Health Equity and Wellness for Medicaid Populations
• Galvanizing Nurses on Social Determinants

• New CMS Models for Dual Eligibles
• State Updates: AZ, CO, ME, MA, NJ, OR, RI & SD
• Upcoming Webinar on Trends and Disparities in Children’s Health Insurance
• Building the Business Case for Investment in Childhood Obesity Prevention
• How Consumers Shape Health Care Reform
• Health Impacts of Early Childhood Interventions

• Final 2020 Payment Notice
• State Updates: AZ, CA, CO, MD, NY, OR, WA, & WV
• State Medicaid Buy-Ins: Key Questions to Consider
• Upcoming Webinar on Children’s Coverage
• Impact of State-Level Policy, Operational Choices ACA Marketplace Performance
• Organizing Complex Care for Rural Populations: A Case Study of Three Montana Communities

• SDOH and Medicaid's Next Generation State Practices
• State Updates: HI, ID, KS, KY, MI, NJ, NM & ND
• Do Consumers Understand Short-Term Plans?
• Improving the Health and Well-Being of the Nation’s Aging Population
• Improving Care for Children with Health Complexity

• Reactions to Last Week’s Court Decisions
• DOL's AHP Rule FAQ
• State Updates: AZ, CO, FL, LA, ME, NE, NJ, & RI
• Webinar on Medicaid Buy-In
• Consumer-Focused Health System Transformation
• Webinar on the Integrated Care for Kids Model
• Q&A with NJ’s DHS Commissioner

• Health Care in the Courts
• State Updates: CO, GA, LA, MN, NM, PA, & UT
• Leveraging Multi-Payer Databases for Value
• Advancing Health Equity in Medicaid via VBP

• Monitoring and Evaluating Section 1115 Waivers
• State Updates: CO, ME, NJ, OH, TN, TX, & VA
• County Health Rankings and Housing Costs
• Strengthening Medicaid LTSS: A Toolkit for States
• How Oregon Uses Systems-level Data

• Update on Medicaid Buy-in
• Seema Verma, Two Years In
• State Updates: DE, LA, ME, NY, OH, OR, PA, & VA
• Q&A with Louisiana’s Medicaid Director
• Opioids’ Impact on Children and Families

• Analysis of State-Based Marketplaces
• RWJF Medicaid Briefing Series
• State Updates: AZ, CA, CO, NE, NM, PA, VT & VA
• CSR Litigation and State Options
• Promoting Health and Cost Control
• State of Babies

• Health Care News from Capitol Hill
• New Pass-Through Funding Resources
• State Updates: CO, ME, NE, PA, RI, VA and WA
• New Early Childhood and Medicaid Initiative
• Health Impact Assessments and Better Decision-making
• Tracking Medicaid-Covered Prescriptions

• CMS Launches New Podcast
• Growth in Health Care Expenditures
• State Updates: KY, MD, MN, NJ, NY, NC, PA & WA
• Policies for Action Medicaid Research Hub
• State Approaches to Surprise Billing
• Antipsychotic Use Among Children in the Foster Care System

• Interoperability and Patient Access Proposed Rule
• State Updates: MN, MO, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, VA, & TX
• Analysis of Premium Tax Credits in 2020 NBPP
• 50-State Analysis of Drug Overdose Trends
• Advancing Interoperability

• State of the Union and Health Care
• State Updates: ME, NJ, NY, NC, OR, RI & VA
• Screening for ACEs and Trauma
• Health Workforce Development Recommendations

• Governors Set the Agenda for Health Care
• State Updates: CO, KS, ME, NE, NY & OR
• Marketing Tactics of Short-term Plans
• State Strategies to Address Health Care for Justice-involved Populations
• Trauma-Informed Care Champions: From Treaters to Healers

Last week survey results from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index showed that the uninsured rate continues to rise, from a low of 10.9 percent as of the fourth quarter of 2016 to the current high of 13.7 percent, a net increase of about 7 million uninsured individuals. For an analysis of what may be contributing to the increase in the number of uninsured, both Health Affairs has a blog post on the subject and the New York Times published an article on their blog The Upshot.

Last Thursday the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed annual Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for plan year 2020. The Notice proposes regulatory and financial parameters for qualified health plans on the Exchanges, plans in the individual, small group, and large group markets, and self-funded group health plans. Our technical experts are reviewing the Notice and evaluating potential implications for states, so watch this space for upcoming programming.

Breaking news from Friday: the partial government shutdown has prompted an appeals court judge to issue a stay in Texas v. Azar lawsuit. For an analysis of where the case stands and implications of the federal shutdown more broadly on health care, listen to this Kaiser Health News’ What the Health? podcast (start at 1:12).

Over the holidays, Judge Reed O’Connor issued a stay and partial final judgment in Texas v. Azar. Doing so allowed the parties to immediately appeal his recent decision to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The December 30th ruling ensures the ACA remains fully in effect in all 50 states and DC. Following the decision, on January 3rd. 16 states and the District of Columbia filed an appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Check out this Health Affairs blog post for background on the case and an update on the legal proceedings.

Even though the end of the year is near, last week was not a slow news week. Late Friday the 14th, a federal district judge in Texas issued a highly anticipated decision in Texas v. Azar, ruling that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate to maintain health coverage is unconstitutional, and as a result the entire ACA is unconstitutional. Despite the ruling, the ACA is still the law of the land and most legal experts agree that this is only the first step in what is likely to be a long legal road that may end in the Supreme Court; consumers should be assured that if they enroll now they will have coverage in 2019. Heather Howard answers some burning questions related to the ruling and its implications in the latest Woodrow Wilson School Reacts post.

Friday was the very last day of open enrollment for HealthCare.gov and we are saw a big push by states as they remind residents of the deadline to sign up for health insurance. As of the enrollment numbers released last week, 4.13 million people have signed up for plans through HealthCare.gov as of December 8, of which 1.1 million are new consumers.

As we enter the last week of open enrollment for states operating health insurance marketplaces through healthcare.gov, the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) released their weekly enrollment snapshot for week five. To date, nearly 3.2 million people have selected plans, of which 812,263 are new consumers; this is down from the 3.6 million people who had selected plans by this time last year. While there are many potential drivers of lower enrollment, we will likely have to wait till the dust settles on this open enrollment period to better understand the dynamics. However, as profiled below, several states that run their own state-based exchanges, and have extended open enrollments, are seeing sign-ups that are higher than last year.

Section 1332 waivers were in the health care policy news spotlight this week. On Thursday, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma announced the release of four waiver concepts designed to illustrate how states can waive certain Affordable Care Act provisions under Section 1332 of the law. For more information about the four waiver concepts, see this CMS fact sheet and a discussion paper, which describes each concept in detail. Manatt Health have written an Expert Perspective for State Health and Value Strategies on the new waiver concepts that breaks down the potential new options for states. Updates follow.

Last Monday, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service released additional guidance regarding health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and other account-based health benefits. The guidance addresses the interaction between the tri-department HRA proposed regulations released October 23 and existing provisions such as the employer mandate. State Health and Value Strategies will be addressing the implications for states of these proposals in a webinar on Wednesday, November 28.

During the opening plenary at the National Association of Medicaid Directors fall conference, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced a new opportunity for states to receive authority to pay for short-term residential treatment services in an institution for mental disease (IMD) for Medicaid beneficiaries with serious mental illness. Following Secretary Azar’s speech, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to State Medicaid Directors outlining both existing and new opportunities for states to design innovative service delivery systems for adults with SMI and children with serious emotional disturbance. 

Last week, on the state-level, three states approved expanding their Medicaid programs and the results of several gubernatorial elections signal potential changes in state health policy. For a synopsis of what the election results mean for health care, see this Health Affairs blog post. In addition, the Kaiser Health News podcast What the Health? includes an analysis of midterm election results. Also last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule related to program integrity of Exchange operations. This Health Affairs blog post summarizes this rule, including implications for states. CMS also announced a proposed rule for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care programs. CMS released a fact sheet explaining the goals of this proposed rule. Updates follow.

Open enrollment has officially begun! To kick off the OEP season, Georgetown University just launched an updated Navigator Resource Guide this week. The guide provides information on recent policy changes, a list of enrollment tools for consumers and assistors, and answers to hundreds of frequently asked questions (FAQs), ranging from questions about eligibility for marketplace subsidies to post-enrollment issues and small employer coverage. In addition, Kaiser Family Foundation put together a list of over 300 FAQs for consumers, navigators, brokers and other assistors. The FAQs cover a wide range of topics, including the 2019 repeal of the individual mandate tax penalty and a new section on short-term health insurance policies. Updates follow.