Sep, 08, 2020

State Health Updates

COVID-19 Updates

  • Arizona – The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) suspended all Medicaid disenrollments per federal requirements at the start of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). In anticipation of the expiration of the PHE scheduled for October 22, 2020, AHCCCS will begin to request eligibility information from members whose eligibility requires additional information. While no member will be disenrolled – regardless of eligibility—until after the PHE ends,AHCCCS will begin sending requests for information in the September member notifications.
  • District of Columbia
    • Mayor Muriel Bowser has mandated that all DC-licensed health insurers cover COVID-19 testing with no cost sharing for certain high-risk residents. This requirement, to be administered through the DC Department of Insurance Securities and Banking, runs through the duration of the public health emergency.
    • The Department of Housing and Community Development notified more than 30 District-based nonprofit organizations that they will receive funding from the COVID-19 Nonprofit Support Grant. The grants, which total nearly. 5 million, will support housing and community development nonprofits that have experienced an increase in administrative costs, constituent requests, or other disruptions to normal operations due to COVID-19.
  • North Carolina – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has added new data to the COVID-19 Data Dashboard on the average turnaround time for COVID-19 testing. Located on the Testing page, the graph shows the average daily turnaround time based on data from all laboratories that report electronically to NCDHHS.
  • Wisconsin – The Department of Health Services is accepting applications for Wisconsin’s program to provide relief for specific types of health care service providers to offset losses or expenses they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is supported by the federal CARES Act.

Other State Updates

  • Arizona – The AHCCCS established the Health Equity Committee earlier this year to examine where health disparities exist within Arizona’s health care delivery system and explore steps that can be taken by the agency and community partners to address them. AHCCCS is hosting four community forums online on September 12, 18, 21, and 29.
  • California – Covered California, the state’s official health insurance marketplace, established a new special-enrollment period to benefit victims of the over 500 wildfires in the state. Covered California’s regulations allow it to establish a special enrollment period for people affected by the current statewide state of emergency.
  • Michigan – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced the creation of a new collaborative statewide group, Mi Milk Collective led by black women representing hospital systems, community organizations, birth workers and lactation professionals throughout the state of Michigan dedicated to serving black families. In honor of Black Breastfeeding Week, Mi Milk Collective has teamed up with Priority Health to create a scholarship dedicated to financially supporting aspiring black lactation professionals.
  • Oklahoma – As the Oklahoma Health Care Authority prepares for the expanded adult Medicaid population, the current Insure Oklahoma premium assistance program will be modified. Insure Oklahoma helps small businesses and their employees access quality health care coverage. As Oklahoma adds the expansion adult population, the ESI program will be revised to cover individuals with qualifying income from 138 to 200 percent of the federal poverty level starting July 1, 2021.
  • Oregon – The Oregon Health Authority announced the launch of Healthier Together Oregon, the new State Health Improvement Plan aimed at improving the social influences on health. The 2020-2024 plan, developed over the past year with input from more than 2,500 people across the state, is centered on five priority areas: institutional bias; adversity, trauma and toxic stress; behavioral health; economic drivers of health, including housing, food security and living wage; and access to equitable preventive health care.
  • Wisconsin – Prevent Suicide Wisconsin, a public-private partnership that includes the Department of Health Services, released a report to guide and support suicide prevention in Wisconsin over the next five years. The report presents the most up-to-date picture of suicidal behavior in Wisconsin based on surveys, death records, and hospital data. It also outlines four strategies and 50 opportunities for action.