Issue Briefs , Webinars | Apr 2, 2014

Realizing Rural Care Coordination: Considerations and Action Steps for State Policy-Makers

Michael Stanek, Carrie Hanlon, and Tess Shiras

Better coordination of patient care is an increasingly important part of not only advanced primary care models but also of broader strategies to create shared accountability across providers and care settings. States seeking to promote care coordination, either within Medicaid or through participation in multipayer initiatives, will run into long-standing challenges to delivering care and promoting health in rural areas. Rural areas often experience disparities in access to care, health status, and available infrastructure relative to their urban counterparts. Any strategy to coordinate care that aims to operate statewide or target rural areas must consider the needs of rural communities. This issue brief draws from the experiences of six states, Alabama, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Vermont, to identify common policy considerations and action steps for coordinating care in rural environments.

To view the webinar slides that correspond to this resource, click here.


Expert Perspectives

December 1, 2023

The Proposed 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters: Implications for States

On November 15, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its proposed 2025 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, the annual regulation which governs core provisions of the Affordable Care Act. This expert perspective focuses on aspects of the proposed rule likely to be of interest to state officials, including requirements for State-Based Marketplaces to align with the standards of the Federally Facilitated Marketplace, proposals for states to update essential health benefits, and initiatives to ease the eligibility and enrollment process for consumers.

CMS Releases Information Bulletin on Coverage of Services and Supports to Address Health-Related Social Needs in Medicaid

This expert perspective summarizes CMS’ new Informational Bulletin and accompanying framework which together detail Medicaid coverage options for services that address the health-related social needs (HRSN) of Medicaid enrollees. The new guidance reiterates the importance of addressing HRSNs to improve access to care and health outcomes, and summarizes (and in some cases updates) multiple previous sources of CMS guidance on how HRSN services may be covered in Medicaid, including guidance on in lieu of services authority and on HRSN coverage in section 1115 waivers.