Blog

Leaders in Justice and Child Welfare Systems Explain How HMA-Developed MAT Training Can Keep Families Together

Focused on ongoing support and solutions for those living with opioid use disorder (OUD), Health Management Associates (HMA) has developed a robust web-based training program about addiction and its treatment in the criminal justice and child welfare systems, including access to, and continued use of, medications for addiction treatment (MAT).

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CMS Eyes Medicaid Alternative Payment Models (APM) Expansion to Control Growth in Spending

On September 15, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released State Medicaid Director (SMD) letter #20-004 regarding value-based care (VBC) opportunities in Medicaid. [1] In the letter, CMS lays out a road map for state Medicaid agencies to adopt value-based payment (VBP). The SMD describes how states can use existing – or obtain new – authorities to adopt VBP. It lists examples of successful VBP designs in other states and identifies key enabling factors from its examination of lessons learned over the last ten years of investments in VBC activities.

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HMA to lead Integrated Care Technical Assistance Program in the District of Columbia

The District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) has engaged Health Management Associates (HMA) to spearhead a multi-year training and coaching effort across the District. The five-year project will support Medicaid providers’ efforts to deliver whole person care by integrating physical and behavioral health in order to better manage the complex needs of Medicaid beneficiaries.

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CMS Finalizes Policy to Use Hospital Negotiated Charge Data to Set Payment Rates

This week, our In Focus section reviews the policy changes included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Final Rule (CMS-1735-F). This year’s IPPS Final Rule includes several important policy changes that will change hospitals’ administrative procedures and may alter hospitals’ Medicare margins, beginning as soon as October 1, 2020.

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California Releases Medi-Cal Managed Care RFI

This week, our In Focus section reviews the California request for information (RFI) regarding the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan (MCP) contract and the upcoming Medi-Cal MCP procurement. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is seeking information to update boilerplate contracts and develop the request for proposals (RFP) scheduled for release in 2021.

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