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HMA Insights: Your source for healthcare news, ideas and analysis.

HMA Insights—including briefs, webinars, and our podcast—gives you easy access to HMA’s deep expertise, helping you stay current on the latest healthcare trends and topics. Search for a topic of interest or browse the latest insights below.

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HMA briefs on Medicare-Medicaid integration

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This issue brief from Health Management Associates, Medicare-Medicaid Integration: Essential Program Elements and Policy Recommendations for Integrated Care Programs for Dually Eligible Individuals is part of a multi-phased research initiative to increase enrollment in integrated care programs (ICPs)[1] that meet full benefit dually eligible individuals’[2] needs and preferences. Dually eligible individuals have a range of chronic conditions and disabilities requiring both Medicare and Medicaid services, which makes integrated programs important to their lives.

For a succinct overview of the essential elements and policy recommendations, please access the brief fact sheet. For a full discussion of the elements and policy recommendations, please access the full brief.

The authors are Sarah Barth, Ellen Breslin, Samantha DiPaola and Narda Ipakchi.[3]

For further information or questions, contact Sarah Barth, Ellen Breslin or Samantha DiPaola.

[1] Integrated Care Programs (ICPs): For this research, we defined ICPs as financing and care delivery organizing entities or programs that coordinate and integrate Medicare and Medicaid-covered services and supports for dually eligible individuals.They include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI) capitated and fee-for-service models; the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); Medicare Advantage (MA) Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (FIDE SNPs); Medicaid Managed Long-Term Service and Supports Program (MLTSS) managed care organizations and aligned MA dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs); and state-specific programs that may be proposed to CMS.

[2] Dually Eligible Individuals: When using the term dually eligible individuals, we are referencing Medicare-Medicaid full benefit dually eligible individuals (FBDEs), those who qualify for full Medicaid benefits.

[3] Narda Ipakchi was formerly a Senior Consultant with HMA.

Vermont proposes risk-bearing, state-run Medicaid managed care entity

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This week our In Focus section reviews Vermont’s Global Commitment to Health Section 1115 waiver renewal application. In the proposed five-year demonstration extension, Vermont seeks to move the Medicaid population to a new a risk-bearing public, state-run managed care organization (MCO). Under the arrangement, the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) would transition into the new entity and accept capitated risk for the state’s Medicaid population, covering physical and mental health, pharmacy services, substance use disorder (SUD) services, and long-term services and supports (LTSS) beginning January 1, 2022.

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HMA prepared issue briefs explore MLTSS impacts on state Medicaid programs

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In a recent pair of reports prepared for Arizona for Better Medicaid, HMA colleagues examined the impact of managed long-term services and supports (LTSS) in state Medicaid programs. The first report, Growth in MLTSS and Impacts on Community-Based Care, examines the historical increase in the adoption of LTSS by state Medicaid programs and how that has contributed to a shift in long-term care from institutions to the community. The second report, Managed LTSS Improves Quality of Care, describes the evidence on the impact of managed LTSS in state Medicaid programs on the quality of care.

Authors:
Principal Stephen Palmer
Senior Consultant Ashlen Strong
Senior Consultant Aaron Tripp

Webinar Replay: Value Propositions and Roadmaps for Integrating Children’s Behavioral Health and Medicaid with Child Welfare Systems

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This held on July 15, 2021, was the seventh webinar in the series “Exploring the Landscape of Behavioral Healthcare,” covering the growing impact of behavioral healthcare on clinical outcomes and cost.

The success of the delivery of state and local child welfare systems is predicated on a strong collaboration across child welfare, children’s behavioral health and Medicaid, building a multigenerational, multisystem response to the problem of child maltreatment. During this webinar, HMA behavioral health, child welfare and Medicaid experts broke down what’s needed to get the integration process started, including a practical approach to workflows as well as an understanding of the touchpoints where integration efforts are likely to have their biggest payoff.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how child welfare services departments currently interact with the behavioral health service continuum.
  • Learn how to build value by identifying areas where the intersection of child welfare, Medicaid and children’s behavioral health helps improve outcomes and mitigate risk.
  • Identify potential barriers to integration efforts.
  • Learn how other states have applied solutions and strategies aimed at better integrating child welfare systems, Medicaid, and children’s behavioral health.
  • Learn about financing infrastructures that support meaningful whole family approaches to improving protective factors and strengthening family resilience.

HMA Speakers:

Uma Ahluwalia, MSW, MHA, Managing Principal, Washington, DC
Annalisa Baker, MPH, LCSW, Senior Consultant, New York, NY
Caitlin Thomas-Henkel, MSW, Principal, Philadelphia, PA
Heidi Arthur, MSW, Principal, New York, NY

Louisiana Releases Medicaid Managed Care RFP

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This week our In Focus section reviews the Louisiana Medicaid managed care request for proposals (RFP) released on June 23, 2021, by the Louisiana Department of Health. Louisiana is seeking full-risk health plans to serve approximately 1.6 million Medicaid beneficiaries. Contracts are worth approximately $9 billion annually.

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HMA brief examines state efforts to integrate care across Medicaid FFS LTSS and Medicare Advantage D-SNPs

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Funded by UnitedHealthcare, the issue brief, State Efforts to Integrate Care Across Medicaid Fee-for-Service Long-Term Services and Supports and Medicare Advantage Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans, outlines approaches taken by Medicaid programs seeking to coordinate Medicare and Medicaid services for dually eligible individuals without first implementing standalone Medicaid managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs.

Authors are Sarah Barth, Rachel Deadmon and Julie Faulhaber.

Tennessee Releases Medicaid Managed Care RFP

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This week our In Focus reviews the Tennessee Medicaid managed care request for proposals (RFP) released on June 11, 2021, by the State of Tennessee, Division of TennCare. Tennessee will select three plans to provide physical services, behavioral services, and Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS), including nursing facility services and home and community-based services (HCBS), to beneficiaries enrolled in TennCare (Medicaid), CoverKids (Children’s Health Insurance Program), and Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNP). Current incumbents serve over 1.5 million beneficiaries, with contracts worth $12 billion annually.

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Indiana Releases Medicaid Managed Care RFP

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This week, our In Focus section reviews the Indiana Medicaid managed care request for proposals (RFP) for health plans serving beneficiaries enrolled in Hoosier Healthwise and Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) programs. Contracts will be worth over $6 billion annually.  The RFP was released on June 7, 2021, by the Indiana Department of Administration on behalf of the Family and Social Services Administration Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning.

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California proposed May revision budget adds Medi-Cal expansions

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This week, our In Focus section reviews California’s May Revision to the Governor’s Budget, which proposes a $267.8 billion budget (with $196.8 billion General Fund) for fiscal year 2021-22. The revised budget includes $24.4 billion in reserves, the largest in history. The May Revision builds on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) proposal and introduces several Medi-Cal initiatives and benefits for fiscal year 2021-22.

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CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule – Part 3

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This blog was written by Juan Montanez, Principal, HMA, and Robert Chouinard, VP Public Sector, HealthEC

Where are you going to invest to maximize benefits?

In thinking about the value that can be derived from implementation of the Interoperability Rule, both payers and providers need to ensure their perspective of the rule positions them for long-term success.

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CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule – Part 2

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This blog was written by Laura Zaremba, Principal, HMA, and Robert Chouinard, VP Public Sector, HealthEC

Making the Economics Work for You

Most health care organizations impacted by the Interoperability Rule have very logically focused their attention and resources on interpreting what the new rule requires them to do within their own systems, in what timeframe, and at what cost. And to be sure, scoping the work and deploying the resources required to meet the compliance deadlines is a significant investment of time and money, but the compliance focus should be only the first action step for to the Interoperability Rule.

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