Research suggests that people with serious mental illness die about 25 years sooner than the general population. The cost of care for those with serious mental illness—and behavioral health disorders more broadly—is also formidable. According to a recent study from New York, total health care costs for Medicaid enrollees who have behavioral health disorders are about 35 to 44 percent greater than costs for the general Medicaid population. read more
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Can Active States Endure A Ground Shift? Implications Of The Supreme Court’s Health Reform Decision
We do not know what the Supreme Court will decide about the Affordable Care Act, but we do know that changes to the ACA’s coverage provisions would have a major impact on states already active in implementing the law. Would active states be able to overcome the loss of key provisions? That depends on the Richter Scale magnitude of the ground shift set off by the Court’s decision. read more
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The Curtain Rises On The Fourth Act: States’ Evolving Responses To The Affordable Care Act
As we anticipate release of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act, we can look back at how states have responded thus far to the ACA in order to anticipate what may come next. States’ responses have unfolded in three acts, and when the Court’s decision arrives we will see the opening of Act IV. read more
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With Coverage Comes Churn: Ensuring Continuity of Care Between Medicaid and the Exchanges
The problem of churn—individuals moving on and off or across insurance coverage due to income fluctuations—has long confounded state Medicaid agencies. As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) extends coverage to many more Americans through numerous vehicles, it will be important to ensure seamless continuity of care for people churning across various insurance options. read more
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Flexible Funding Allows Innovations to Thrive in the Safety Net System
The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has the potential to relieve some of the infrastructure challenges facing the health care delivery system. The law includes funding to support and extend the health care workforce, and to promote efficient, high quality care. Some of the ACA’s provisions are targeted specifically toward meeting the extensive needs of the health care safety net. read more
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States Shop For Ideas For Their Small Business Exchange
A Conversation with Alan Weil on Decision Making in a World of Uncertainty
States are counting on investments in the medical home model to help control costs. Those savings might very well prove elusive. At least that’s the implication of recent research from Mathematica Policy Research and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which found a very thin evidence base for the claim that medical homes save money. read more
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Digging Into the Final Eligibility Rule? Working on Comments Due Monday? Let Us Help
The final Medicaid/CHIP eligibility rule and health insurance exchange rules are full of critical information for states preparing their eligibility systems for 2014. But it’s a lot to dive into. Where should a state start? Taking a page from David Letterman’s “Top Ten,” the Maximizing Enrollment staff at NASHP have prepared a memo highlighting the top ten things states need to know about the eligibility rule. read more
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The Exchange Sustainability Puzzle: States Begin to Put the Pieces Together
One of the major issues states are dealing with as they set up exchanges is how to ensure the exchanges’ financial sustainability after 2014. Establishment grant funds will be available through 2014 to help states stand up and operate the exchanges, but states must pay for exchange operations beginning in 2015. read more
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States Examine Essential Health Benefits Options
Although the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the ACA, many states are continuing to move forward on implementation. One important implementation area states are working on is selecting a benchmark plan—a plan whose benefits will help define “essential health benefits” or EHB for the state. read more
