State Options for Responding to Federal Changes to the Individual Market
State Health and Value Strategies hosted a webinar the first week of January to outline state considerations and options to address federal policy changes that could impact individual market stability. Technical experts from Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform, Manatt Health, and others discussed the implications of individual mandate repeal in the tax bill and opportunities for state action, including reinsurance and state-level policies to incentivize enrollment. In addition, experts discuss potential changes to short-term policies that could also impact enrollment and premiums in the individual market. The webinar also explores potential budget impacts of the tax legislation on other health programs, including Medicaid.
Leveraging Medicaid to Strengthen Coverage
States continue to develop strategies to strengthen coverage across the individual market and Medicaid. In recent months, we have seen several proposals at both the federal and state levels that would leverage state Medicaid programs as a key component of coverage stability and affordability strategies. The webinar highlights and defines potential policy options, including the “Medicaid Buy-in,” that states may consider to leverage Medicaid to achieve their goals with respect to coverage availability and affordability. We discuss the conditions that make each option more or less favorable for a state, and implementation issues or other considerations in play for states.
Medicaid Managed Care Toolkit
State Medicaid agencies are increasingly turning to managed care organizations (MCOs) to cover more Medicaid enrollees, including those with complex needs. The ongoing shift from a fee-for-service payment model to a value-based payment model at the health plan and provider level puts even more importance on Medicaid managed care procurement strategies and approaches.
Medicaid Work Requirements/Community Engagement: Federal Activity and State Considerations
At least seven states have submitted 1115 waivers requesting authority to introduce work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries. Many more states are considering them. We examine key design considerations for states, including the populations to which work requirements may apply; exemptions based on health status or community conditions (e.g. rates of unemployment; access to transportation); definition of work (how many hours per month? Per year? Will school, job training, and volunteer work satisfy a work requirement?); and, use of verification and attestation in determining whether work requirements apply and are being met. We also look at state operational issues including integrating work requirements with a streamlined online, electronic application and renewal process.
Value-Based Innovation by State Public Employee Health Benefits Programs
Value-Based Innovation by State Public Employee Health Benefits Programs provides an overview of three areas of value-based innovation and then affords a deeper examination into specific examples of state employee purchaser activity in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington. Despite their differences in size and scope, these state health care purchasers found they could learn from their colleagues in other states as they strive to improve the value of care. For a summary of the examples from the six states, we have also published an Overview that highlights policy innovations and findings to date.
Planning Ahead: Preparing for 2019 Plan Year Reinsurance Waivers
With three states using Section 1332 waivers to help fund reinsurance programs for the 2018 plan year, many more state officials are considering the model for their state in future years. Having worked directly with the 2018 reinsurance states, State Health and Value Strategies is pleased to present the following to-do list for states as they consider reinsurance for 2019.
Protected: NASHP Convening – October 23, 2017 – Meeting Materials
State Health and Value Strategies (SHVS) and the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) co-hosted an ancillary session at the 2017 annual NASHP meeting on October 23, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. The meeting was entitled “Managed Long-Term Services and Supports: Value-Based Purchasing Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities” and focused on supporting state learning, skill-building, and strategy development to foster sound Medicaid managed care (MMC) policies and value-based purchasing (VBP) strategies specific to long term services and supports (LTSS).
Summary of House and Senate CHIP Legislation
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers nearly nine million children and is a key contributor to record low levels of uninsurance among children. However, Congress only provided funding for CHIP through fiscal year (FY) 2017, which ended on September 30, 2017 and has not yet acted to authorize new funding for FY 2018. This Issue Brief reviews the current status of state CHIP programs in light of the CHIP funding extension delay and summarizes key features of proposed House and Senate extension legislation.
Impact of Executive Order and Non-payment of CSRs on State Insurance Markets
State Health and Value Strategies hosted a webinar for states on the Executive Order affecting state insurance markets and the implications for states of discontinuation of CSR payments. The webinar featured insurance market experts from Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms and Manatt Health who discussed the elements of the Executive Order, what states can expect in the coming weeks, and the policy decisions states can consider.
Proposals to Renew the Children’s Health Insurance Program: An Update on Developments
Following the expiration of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), both the House and the Senate have turned their attention to the program’s renewal. As states know well, the program was provided with funding through fiscal year 2017, which ended on September 30th, creating pressure for Congress to act quickly before states begin to run out of CHIP dollars in the coming weeks and months. Both the Senate and the House recently have taken up legislation to provide funding for an additional five years and make a number of other modifications to the bill.