Issue Briefs | Sep 14, 2018

State Health Policy Highlights: Service Integration and Joint Accountability Across State Agencies and Programs

Bailit Health

Health status is largely influenced by factors outside the health care delivery system, particularly for low-income populations. State efforts to improve health and reduce health disparities through the lens of medical care alone will miss opportunities for individuals, particularly the most vulnerable and their communities. As more states focus broadly on population health goals, they seek to employ and coordinate a variety of health and other resources on targeted efforts. This State Health Policy Highlight profiles three State Health and Value Strategies (SHVS) issue briefs that provide states with practical approaches to improve individual and population health and create joint accountability across health care and other sectors.


Expert Perspectives

May 17, 2024

State Implications of the Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rule 

On April 26, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights released a final rule interpreting section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act , which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. This expert perspective reviews the implications of the rule for state policymakers.

May 16, 2024

Optimizing SMS Strategies for Outreach to Medicaid and Marketplace Enrollees

As states continue to explore new ways to reach Medicaid and Marketplace members with targeted messages and updates about their coverage, many have incorporated SMS text messaging into their communications plans. This expert perspective highlights strategies and recommendations for states that are considering or currently implementing text messaging in their outreach plans to support states as they look to optimize text messaging in their Medicaid and Marketplace communications and outreach efforts.

Mapping State Efforts to Address Medical Debt

The healthcare affordability crisis has resulted in an estimated 100 million Americans, or 41% of adults, holding some form of medical debt. The consequences of medical debt are profound, from financial strain to worsened health outcomes, and there are significant health equity implications. States are moving to eradicate medical debt for low income residents and protect residents from the financial consequences. This expert perspective highlights state action to cancel medical debt and/or prohibit medical debt reporting.