Blog

MACPAC June Report to Congress Addresses Role of Managed Care in LTSS

This week, our In Focus comes from Senior Consultant Rachel Patterson, who provides an overview of Chapter 3 of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) June 2018 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, which examines the growing role of managed care in long-term services and supports (LTSS).  Chapter 3 includes research conducted by teams including HMA Principals Sarah Barth and Karen Brodsky regarding network adequacy for home and community-based service (HCBS) and Principals Sarah Barth, and Sharon Lewis and Senior Consultant Rachel Patterson regarding enrollment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) into MLTSS.

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Massachusetts’ Duals Demo 2.0 to Grow the SCO and One Care Programs

This week, our In Focus section comes from Ellen Breslin in our Boston office who provides an overview of MassHealth’s Duals Demonstration 2.0 (“Duals Demo 2.0”) proposal to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which is designed to “grow and sustain One Care and Senior Care Options (SCO) while encouraging innovation and care delivery improvement.” MassHealth currently provides coverage to about 310,000 dually-eligible individuals. Combined, MassHealth and Medicare spend more than $9 billion annually with costs nearly evenly split across the two payers.

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Benefit Options for the Medicaid Expansion Population: Alternative Benefit Plans and the Medically Frail

This week, our In Focus section highlights HMA Medicaid Market Solutions (MMS) which is supporting state flexibility in designing and implementing initiatives, including Section 1115 Demonstration Waivers, promoting member engagement, and personal responsibility. Over the coming weeks, HMA MMS will present a series of articles providing an in-depth look at the facets of these new Medicaid models.

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Registration Open for HMA Conference on the Rapidly Changing World of Medicaid

HMA Conference on the Rapidly Changing World of Medicaid to Feature Insights from 30-Plus Speakers, Including Health Plan CEOs, State Medicaid Directors, Providers

Pre-Conference Workshop: Sept. 30
Conference: Oct. 1-2
Location: The Palmer House, Chicago

Health Management Associates is proud to announce its third annual conference on trends in publicly sponsored health care: The Rapidly Changing World of Medicaid: Opportunities and Pitfalls for Payers, Providers and States.

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New Flexibilities for Medicare Advantage Plans

This blog post was written by Managing Principal Mary Hsieh, Senior Consultant Aimee Lashbrook, and Senior Consultant Mary Russell.

In April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2019 Final Rate Announcement and Call Letter for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D. The guidance was very good for the industry, with a projected average increase in revenue of 3.4 percent.

The Final Call Letter also included important new flexibilities that will help plans bring more innovative products to market and deliver more comprehensive care to enrollees. As early as next year, plans can offer supplemental benefits under an expanded definition of “primarily health related.”

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