Clinical Services

Clinical Services

Kentucky Becomes First State to Enact Community Engagement & Employment Requirements for Medicaid Members

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This article was written by Senior Consultants Amanda Schipp and Lora Saunders of HMA Medicaid Market Solutions (HMA MMS). HMA MMS helped the Commonwealth of Kentucky secure a groundbreaking Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver. Below is a summary of what the waiver entails.

On January 12, 2018, Kentucky’s section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver was approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The demonstration includes two significant components: an expansion of substance use disorder (SUD) services, including a waiver of the Institution for Mental Disease (IMD) exclusion, and the creation of a new Medicaid program for able-bodied adults, known as Kentucky HEALTH (Helping to Engage and Achieve Long Term Health). The demonstration contains several groundbreaking policies never previously approved by CMS, most notably, a requirement for non-exempt Medicaid enrollees to work or participate in approved work-related activities, such as education, training, or volunteering as a condition of Medicaid eligibility. This approval paves the way for the nine other states that also have pending waivers requesting similar work requirements.[1]

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CMS approves Kentucky Medicaid Waiver

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the “Kentucky Helping to Engage and Achieve Long Term Health” 1115 Medicaid Waiver, a five-year waiver that includes a “community engagement” or work requirement as a condition of eligibility for non-disabled adult Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19-64.

The decision from CMS represents the first approval of a Medicaid waiver that includes a work requirement as a condition of eligibility. Kentucky developed the waiver in collaboration with HMA Medicaid Market Solutions (HMA MMS).

Kentucky defines “community engagement activities” as 80 hours per month of employment, education, job skills training, and community service. Exempted groups include pregnant women, the medically frail, and full-time students. The waiver also includes “consumer-driven tools” that provide incentives for healthy behavior.

Come back to the HMA blog Monday to read more about Kentucky HEALTH.

Read the full text of the press release issued by the Kentucky Governor’s Office here.

Read the Kentucky HEALTH Demonstration Approval here.

Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Update – Q4 2017

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This week, our In Focus section reviews recent Medicaid enrollment trends in capitated, risk-based managed care in 27 states.[1] Many state Medicaid agencies post monthly enrollment figures by health plan for their Medicaid managed care population to their websites. This data allows for the timeliest analysis of enrollment trends across states and managed care organizations. Nearly all 27 states highlighted in this review have released monthly Medicaid managed care enrollment data into the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2017. This report reflects the most recent data posted. HMA has made the following observations related to the enrollment data shown on Table 1 (below):

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HMA Principal Designs Workshop to Enhance Delivery of Patient-Centered Care

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This blog post was written by HMA Principal Jeffrey M. Ring, Ph.D.

There are many great things to do up in California’s majestic Sierras.  The air is fresh and crisp, the water runs clear and the trees stretch up to dizzying heights.

The health care practitioners of Avenal/Aria Community Health in Central California decided to head to the Sierras for a weekend retreat coordinated with Health Net, and an opportunity to learn together about enhancing the delivery of patient-centered care.  I designed an interactive, experiential workshop  that aimed to facilitate team-building, an exploration of the foundations of communication (including empathy, trust and non-verbal communication), and the skills of Motivational Interviewing which has been empirically demonstrated to be more successful in generating patient behavior change than giving advice.

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Arizona, Kansas Medicaid Managed Care RFPs Reviewed

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This article was authored by HMA Senior Consultant Annie Melia and Consultant Alona Nenko.

This week, our In Focus section reviews two Medicaid managed care requests for proposals (RFPs) released on November 2, 2017. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) issued an RFP for the “Complete Care” program, which will integrate Medicaid managed care for physical and behavioral health as well as replace the state’s long-standing Acute Care Medicaid managed care program. It will cover approximately 1.5 million Medicaid members. Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Department for Aging and Disability Services issued an RFP for KanCare 2.0 Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Capitated Managed Care, which will serve approximately 403,000 members.

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Highlights from Kaiser/HMA 50-State Medicaid Director Survey

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This week, our In Focus section reviews highlights and shares key takeaways from the 17th annual Medicaid Budget Survey conducted by Health Management Associates (HMA) and the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Survey results were released on October 19, 2017, in three new reports: “Medicaid Enrollment & Spending Growth: FY 2017 & 2018,” “Medicaid Moving Ahead in Uncertain Times: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018,” and “Putting Medicaid in the Larger Budget Context: An In-Depth Look at Three States in FY 2017 and 2018.” The reports were prepared by Kathleen Giff­ord, Eileen Ellis, Barbara Coulter Edwards, and Aimee Lashbrook from HMA, and by Elizabeth Hinton, Larisa Antonisse, Allison Valentine, and Robin Rudowitz from the Kaiser Family Foundation. HMA’s Dennis Roberts also contributed. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

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HMA Experts at 2017 NASHP and MHPA

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Make sure to stop by booth 27 October 23-27 at NASHP’s 30th Annual State Health Policy Conference in Portland, OR.

Visit us at booth #27 to learn more about how HMA can help your organization. HMA Principal Carl Mercurio also will be doing live demonstrations of HMA Information Services (HMAIS).

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HMA Consultants Tapped as Authors for Book About Oregon Healthcare Reforms

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Health Reform Policy to Practice – Oregon’s Path to a Sustainable Health System: A Study in Innovation published by Elsevier Academic Press in August, provides a real-world example of an innovative, successful, and comprehensive Medicaid program redesign conducted by the State of Oregon. HMA colleagues Tina Edlund, Jeanene Smith, Cathy Kaufmann, and Lori Coyner were actively involved in Oregon’s healthcare reform efforts and have authored chapters on the development of Oregon’s metrics and incentive program, its patient-centered primary care medical home program, and its comprehensive system of supports for delivery system transformation.

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