State Health and Value Strategies (SHVS), in partnership with Manatt Health, Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR), State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC), Bailit Health, and GMMB developed this resource page to serve as an accessible “one-stop” source of COVID-19 information for states. This resource is designed to support states seeking to make coverage and essential services available to all of their residents, especially high-risk and vulnerable people, during the COVID-19 pandemic. SHVS will update this page frequently with new resources as they become available.
| If you have materials you are willing to share with other states through this page, or if there are topics of particular concern that you would like addressed, please contact SHVS. |
On Tuesday, March 23, State Health and Value Strategies hosted a webinar to discuss how to best communicate with consumers and other stakeholders so residents can take full advantage of new financial help through the Marketplace, free COBRA plans, and more provided by the American Rescue Plan. The webinar was the third in a series that SHVS is hosting on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Experts from GMMB walked through key questions to consider, thoughts on audience segmentation, initial messaging and potential outreach tactics. We also heard from states on their real-time communication plans for rollout.
The National Strategy provides a roadmap to guide America out of the worst public health crisis in a century. It outlines an actionable plan across the federal government to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including twelve initial executive actions issued by President Biden in his first two days in office.
As health inequities continue to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is concerted energy to address this topic across states. Oregon has had a longstanding focus on health equity and employed two foundational strategies that can serve as examples for other states seeking to further their health equity efforts. Oregon first developed a common language and defined what “health equity” meant in the state. The state also engaged community partners to ensure that the community voice was apparent in policy decisions on the state level. When combined, these strategies have helped Oregon develop a foundation to build and implement subsequent health equity efforts in the state.
A new open enrollment landscape created by the continued health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a national movement calling for racial justice, and the concurrent timing of a presidential election year is raising new challenges for states as they plan outreach and enrollment campaigns. Marketplaces are reimagining their campaign strategies to meet this moment, with plans to operationalize virtual activities, communicate with new and existing audiences, and reflect changing consumer behaviors in their outreach tactics. This expert perspective highlights strategies from SHVS’ 2-part webinar series on preparing for OEP 2021 and features several strategies states can pursue to help ensure a successful open enrollment period this year.
While efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have been difficult in all environments, the conditions for those working in agricultural production raise additional challenges. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers, many of whom travel as crops ripen throughout the spring and summer, live and work under conditions that even before COVID-19 posed risks to their safety and wellbeing. This expert perspective examines approaches to addressing the particular risks of COVID-19 faced by farmworkers, provides a survey of state and local policies and outlines some key themes and recommendations for policymakers as they work to support agricultural workers and stem the spread of COVID-19.
This analysis includes several key considerations intended to help state policymakers identify and overcome common barriers associated with integrating and operationalizing CHWs in Medicaid and other state health programs
Considering both the public health crisis and future patient needs, Families USA has assembled state policy recommendations around three themes: 1) improving telehealth financing and implementation models to increase reach; 2) removing provider barriers to increase access to telehealth; and, 3) bridging the digital divide to improve patient access to telehealth services.
This expert perspective highlights examples employed by DC Health Link, the Oregon Health Authority, and beWellnm and the community-centered outreach they are using to actively enroll and connect consumers to care. The expert perspective also includes best practices surfaced for marketplaces and agencies to adapt their COVID-19 communications and outreach—and beyond—to ensure those with inequitable access to health coverage are prioritized and supported.
As the COVID-19 crisis began to take hold, state-based marketplaces (SBMs) were quick to respond to the first nationwide public health emergency since the Affordable Care Act created new coverage options in states. Informed by conversations with seven SBMs that established an SEP—Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island and Washington—this expert perspective highlights strategies that successfully drove enrollment, including: leveraging their SBM status to quickly and efficiently operationalize customer service in a new remote environment, directly engaging with existing customers as well as reaching out broadly to new ones, and adapting outreach tactics based on new insights regarding audience needs and behaviors to reach them most effectively.
HHS OIG issued its strategic plan to support the COVID-19 response and recovery.
FEMA announced that government officials can now access the “Community Mitigation Decision Support Tool,” which makes data for each metric in the President’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again available in one tool.
This Health Affairs blog post highlights states’ policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their proactive approaches to addressing a wide range of health concerns.
A toolkit of messages for Medicaid agency staff to outreach to new consumers and current enrollees in light of COVID-19.
COVID-19 has changed the 2020 landscape and is forcing us to re-think how we communicate. With more events and in-person activities cancelled, this document shares some ideas for how to conduct partner engagement and outreach virtually.
CDC issued a compilation of guidance on its COVID-19 surveillance activities and a framework of indicators for state and local jurisdictions to assess the feasibility of re-opening
This expert perspectives provides an overview of strategies that states can consider to help address gaps in coverage to ensure as many people as possible get access to comprehensive care as the country continues to respond and recover from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
This webpage, developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance highlights FAQs and provides coverage information to consumers who have lost their jobs.
In this unprecedented time, social platforms have established new guidelines when it comes to placing any ads related to COVID-19. Note that these policies are evolving daily, so reaching out to your agency partner or the platforms directly to ensure your message and creative will be approved before launch is important.
Webinar recording and slide deck from webinar hosted on March 18, 2020.
This expert perspective includes recommended communication strategies—and some examples—for how states can elevate coverage options and help ensure that more residents can access health insurance during these uncertain times.
Communication examples of state Departments of Health, Medicaid agencies, health insurance marketplaces and Departments of Insurance.
Sample messaging on communicating available health insurance options to consumers during COVID-19.
This expert perspective, written by experts at Manatt Health, discusses strategies state Medicaid and CHIP agencies can pursue as part of their response to COVID-19.
Select state examples of Marketplace communications for COVID-19.
COVID-19 Resources and Information page is a robust center of information for Marketplace consumers and Medicaid enrollees (includes extended enrollment period updates, updates for MassHealth members, customer service contact information, carrier information, COVID-19 resources, and FAQs).
Medicaid landing page on COVID-19, includes up front facts on Medicaid coverage, along with consumer FAQs. Segments information for members, providers and case managers and county and eligibility partners.
COVID-19 toolkit developed for Medicaid providers and member letter on changes Medicaid is making at this time.
Medicaid COVID-19 landing page for members that includes fact sheet in English and Spanish and drop downs for important information, as well as a landing page for COVID-19 information and resources for Oregon Health Plan providers, including weekly virtual learning sessions.
This comprehensive resource page on COVID-19 guidance includes multiple funding opportunities to support telehealth for behavioral health services, naloxone distribution, and Opioid Treatment Program facilities.
This letter to behavioral health managed care plans outlines efforts from NC DHHS to provide flexible funding to stabilize providers and respond to the changing needs of consumers.
This guidance allows practitioners further flexibility in prescribing and dispensing buprenorphine to new and existing patients with opioid use disorder via telephone without examination in person or via telemedicine.
This memo includes flexibilities to expand telehealth coverage and waive certain program requirements in light of the public health emergency, including specified service authorization and prescription drug limitations.
This order allows pharmacists and pharmacy interns to administer methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder.
This memo provides interim guidance to assist Opioid Treatment Programs with providing medications to patients, aligning state policy with federal take home exceptions of 14 and 28 days.
This bulletin summarizes flexibilities to New York’s Medicaid eligibility and enrollment system–including for new Medicaid applications and eligibility renewals.
This FAQ provides guidance to narcotic treatment programs, including information on services that may be provided by telehealth.
Dedicated page on insurance resources. Health insurance is the first section of the page, and there is a property and casualty section and a section for regulated entities.
The Oregon Health Authority is tracking cases by age, county and the number of COVID-19 related hospitalizations.
The Department of Health created a dashboard for tracking COVID-19 cases by county which includes data on the number of calls to the state’s hotline.
The Department of Health is tracking COVID-19 cases to date by county with details of age and sex of individual and whether a case is travel related.
DC Health Link provides information to consumers on health insurance.
Example of communication to health carriers.
Example of sharing rapidly evolving information with enrollees and providers.
This FAQ includes guidance for behavioral health providers, partners, and the greater community to develop coordinated prevention and response plans for COVID-19.