The Fiscal Impact of the Healthy Adult Opportunity Medicaid Demonstration Initiative
TO BE RESCHEDULED. State Health and Value Strategies was planning to host a webinar on March 19, The Fiscal Impact of the Healthy Adult Opportunity Medicaid Demonstration Initiative that will discuss findings from a new publication by our friends at the Commonwealth Fund and Manatt Health. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released guidance inviting states to apply for the Healthy Adult Opportunity Medicaid demonstration initiative, which allows states to opt into a block grant funding model. The issue brief finds that the initiative would result in substantially less federal funding for state Medicaid programs, as well as greater financial risks for states that elect to pursue the demonstration. During the webinar, experts from Manatt Health will share their findings from the new publication, with an opportunity for states to ask questions of the report authors.
Medicaid’s Crucial Role in Combating the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Crisis
On March 11, State Health & Value Strategies (SHVS) hosted a webinar in which experts from Manatt Health explored Medicaid strategies to improve maternal health outcomes and address disparities in five key domains: coverage, enrollment, benefits, models of care, and quality improvement. This webinar shared findings from a published Manatt Health issue brief for SHVS on Medicaid’s role in combating the maternal mortality crisis.
Click here for webinar recording
Medicaid’s Crucial Role in Combating the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Crisis
This issue brief describes select policy and strategy levers that Medicaid agencies can employ to improve maternal health outcomes and address outcome disparities in five areas: coverage, enrollment, benefits, models of care, and quality improvement. In some cases, the Medicaid agency will be responsible for implementing these policies; in other cases, the Medicaid agency can lead collaboration with other state agencies such as the public health department or the state marketplace.
Protected: Medicaid Managed Care and Social Determinants of Health Workgroup
State Health and Value Strategies is hosting a workgroup for Medicaid agencies addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) in their managed care programs. Access to the materials are restricted to members of the workgroup and are available through password protected page.
Public Charge Final Rule: Frequently Asked Questions
On August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule, Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds. The rule makes significant changes to the standards DHS will use to determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a “public charge”—a person dependent on the government for support—which will have consequences for certain immigrants’ legal status. This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about whom the rule will impact, what benefits are implicated by the rule, and how the rule might be administered.
Public Charge Rule
On August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule, Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds. The rule makes significant changes to the standards DHS will use to determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a “public charge”—a person dependent on the government for support—which will make it more difficult for certain immigrants to obtain lawful permanent residence (a green card) in the US. State
State Health and Value Strategies, in partnership with Manatt Health, has developed a variety of resources for states regarding the revised public charge rule and implications for states.
Leveraging American Community Survey (ACS) Data to Address Social Determinants of Health and Advance Health Equity
State Medicaid programs are increasingly seeking to understand and address social factors that contribute to poor health—such as food insecurity, unstable housing, and a lack of access to social supports—in order to lower costs, improve outcomes for their members, and advance health equity. To inform this work of addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) and advancing health equity, states and Medicaid officials need data in order to identify priority areas of unmet social and economic needs, execute SDOH initiatives, and monitor and evaluate the impacts of these programs. Increasingly, states are leveraging a broad array of data sources to support efforts to address health equity. While those sources closest to the Medicaid program are the most widely used, each has advantages and disadvantages. This brief focuses on how Medicaid programs can use data from one federal survey, the American Community Survey (ACS), to inform and target interventions that seek to address social determinants of health and advance health equity. This brief also highlights relevant examples from states that use SDOH and health equity measures from the ACS, including which measures and what they are used for.
Medicaid Capped Funding Demonstrations: Considerations for States
On Thursday, February 6, at 2:00 p.m. ET State Health and Value Strategies hosted a webinar on guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services inviting states to apply for capped funding Medicaid demonstrations. During the webinar, experts from Manatt Health provided states with an initial analysis of the CMS guidance and discussed the potential implications for states.
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CMS Guidance Authorizes Medicaid Demonstration Applications That Cap Federal Funding: Implications for States
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a State Medicaid Director Letter on January 30, 2020 inviting states to apply for Section 1115 demonstration projects that would impose caps on federal Medicaid funding for the adult expansion and some other adult populations in exchange for new programmatic flexibility. Referred to as “Healthy Adult Opportunity” by CMS, these demonstrations would allow states to choose between two types of capped funding arrangements: a per capita cap or an aggregate cap (i.e., a block grant). In this SHVS issue brief, our colleagues at Manatt Health review the key features of the proposed capped funding demonstrations and highlight the considerations for states.
Considerations for a State Health Insurer Fee Following Repeal of the Federal 9010 Fee
The recent repeal of the federal health insurer fee may create an opportunity for states to secure funding to support health coverage, without increasing costs on consumers or the health care industry.
Enacting a fee to replace the federal one presents several design questions for states, including what lines of insurance to include, timing, rate, and targeted exemptions. Frequent SHVS partner and ACA tax expert Jason Levitis prepared slides to help states understand these issues. For states interested in learning more, SHVS is happy to make Jason available to provide technical assistance. If you have questions or are interested in assistance, contact Jason directly at jason.levitis@gmail.com.