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

HMA Insights puts the vast depth of HMA’s expertise at your fingertips, helping you stay informed about the latest healthcare trends and topics. Below, you can easily search based on your topic of interest to find useful information from our blogs, webinars, case studies, reports and more.

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Webinar

Webinar Replay: A Comprehensive Approach to Managed Long-Term Services and Supports

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On December 7, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “A Comprehensive Approach to Managed Long-Term Services and Supports: Assessing Health Plan Partnerships with Community-Based Organizations to Serve Members Who Qualify for MLTSS.”

Health plans serving the market for MLTSS have a unique opportunity to strengthen their relationships with existing and new community-based organizational partners to fill important gaps in care for elderly and disabled members. During this webinar, HMA Principals Karen Brodsky and Liddy Garcia-Bunuel discuss how managed care organizations can assess their MLTSS-specific partnerships to better serve members and foster a comprehensive approach to meeting the long-term needs of some of the most vulnerable and high-cost members. Listen to the recording and:

  • Identify and address gaps in care by building a broad array of relationships and partnerships with community-based organizations.
  • Maximize outreach efforts to ensure MLTSS members take advantage of available community-based services and options.
  • Train employees across your health plan – including administrative and clinical staff – to recognize opportunities where members can benefit from community-based organizations.
  • Develop an infrastructure to maintain a current roster of community-based organizations and the availability of various services to MLTSS members.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Essential Attributes of a High-Quality System of Care

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On November 22, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “What Matters Most: Essential Attributes of a High-Quality System of Care for Adults with Complex Care Needs.”

What are the Essential Attributes of a high-performing healthcare system for adults with complex care needs? The SCAN Foundation convened a working group of national experts that identified four “Essential Attributes,” based on person-centered care that serves the goals and needs of individuals, their families, and caregivers.

During this webinar, representatives from Health Management Associates, The SCAN Foundation, and leading quality measurement organizations discuss how a growing understanding of the Essential Attributes of high-performing healthcare systems will impact quality reporting and measurement in the future – fostering systems of care that support the independence, health, and well-being of adults with complex care needs in the least restrictive settings possible. Listen to the recording and:

  • Understand the four Essential Attributes of high-performing systems of care for adults with complex care needs, including the development of informed, compassionate, and accessible care systems that meet the medical and non-medical goals of individuals, their families, and caregivers.
  • Learn how quality measurement organizations are developing metrics that incorporate the Essential Attributes and focus on individuals, their families, and caregivers.
  • Ensure that technical quality metrics result in tangible person-focused care and outcomes for adults with complex care needs.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: What’s Next for Medicaid?

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On November 16, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “What’s Next for Medicaid? An Inside Look at Findings from the 16th Annual Kaiser 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey.”

Medicaid enrollment and spending growth slowed considerably in fiscal 2016 following strong gains in 2015 driven by expansion under the Affordable Care Act, according to the 16th annual Medicaid budget survey from The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU). Still, states continue to push hard to further reform the Medicaid program, initiating a wide array of efforts to coordinate care, expand access, revamp payments, improve quality, and control costs.

During this webinar, experts from Health Management Associates, which works with KCMU and the National Association of Medicaid Directors each year to conduct the survey, outline key findings from the recently-released budget survey and discuss what it all means for the future of Medicaid. Listen to the recording and:

  • Assess the latest trends in long-term services and supports programs, including the continued push by states to implement Managed LTSS initiatives.
  • Find out how Medicaid programs are working to better understand social determinants of health and coordinate with organizations involved in housing supports, foster care, correctional health, and other programs for vulnerable populations.
  • Get details about state-based Medicaid delivery system and payment reform efforts, including developments in patient-centered medical homes, accountable care, and Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) programs.
  • Learn why Medicaid spending and enrollment growth will continue to slow in 2017, and identify the key drivers of Medicaid spending growth.
  • Assess the financing of Medicaid in 2017 and beyond, when the federal matching rate for expansion enrollees begins to decline.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

What’s Next for Medicaid?

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Medicaid enrollment and spending growth slowed considerably in fiscal 2016 following strong gains in 2015 driven by expansion under the Affordable Care Act, according to the 16th annual Medicaid budget survey from The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU). Still, states continue to push hard to further reform the Medicaid program, initiating a wide array of efforts to coordinate care, expand access, revamp payments, improve quality, and control costs. During this webinar, executives from Health Management Associates, which works with KCMU and the National Association of Medicaid Directors each year to conduct the survey, will outline key findings from the recently-released budget survey and discuss what it all means for the future of Medicaid.

Learning Objectives

  • Assess the latest trends in long-term services and supports programs, including the continued push by states to implement Managed LTSS initiatives.
  • Find out how Medicaid programs are working to better understand social determinants of health and coordinate with organizations involved in housing supports, foster care, correctional health, and other programs for vulnerable populations.
  • Get details about state-based Medicaid delivery system and payment reform efforts, including developments in patient-centered medical homes, accountable care, and Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) programs.
  • Learn why Medicaid spending and enrollment growth will continue to slow in 2017, and identify the key drivers of Medicaid spending growth.
  • Assess the financing of Medicaid in 2017 and beyond, when the federal matching rate for expansion enrollees begins to decline.

Speakers
Barbara Edwards, Principal, Columbus, OH
Eileen Ellis, Senior Fellow, Lansing, MI
Kathy Gifford, Principal, Indianapolis, IN
Vern Smith, Senior Fellow, Lansing, MI

Who Should Attend
Medicaid directors and staff; regulators and healthcare policy analysts; executives of Medicaid managed care plans; and executives of hospitals, health systems, health centers, and long term services and other providers serving Medicaid and other vulnerable populations.

Webinar

A Comprehensive Approach to Managed Long-Term Services and Supports

Watch Now

Health plans serving the market for Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) have a unique opportunity to strengthen their relationships with existing and new community-based organizational partners to fill important gaps in care for elderly and disabled members. During this webinar, HMA Principal Karen Brodsky will discuss how managed care organizations can assess their MLTSS-specific  partnerships to better serve members and foster a comprehensive approach to meeting the long-term needs of some of the most vulnerable and high-cost members.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify and address gaps in care by building a broad array of relationships and partnerships with community-based organizations.
  • Maximize outreach efforts to ensure MLTSS members take advantage of available community-based services and options.
  • Train employees across your health plan – including administrative and clinical staff – to recognize opportunities where members can benefit from community-based organizations.
  • Develop an infrastructure to maintain a current roster of community-based organizations and the availability of various services to MLTSS members.

HMA Speakers
Karen Brodsky, Principal, New York
Liddy Garcia-Bunuel, Principal, Washington, DC

Who Should Attend
Executives of Medicaid managed care plans and organizations involved in Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS); clinical and administrative leadership of community-based organizations, health systems, behavioral health providers, FQHCs, and other provider organizations serving LTSS programs; state and local Medicaid officials.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: The Future of 1332 Waivers

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On October 25, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “The Future of 1332 Waivers: Likely State Initiatives and the Potential Impact on Health Insurance Exchanges, Managed Care Plans and Providers.”

What does the future hold for Section 1332 State Innovation Waivers? Only a handful of states have applied for State Innovation Waivers, which allow states to modify certain aspects of the health insurance Exchange program. Given recent concerns over the viability of Exchanges and calls for flexibility in the structuring of Exchange offerings, Section 1332 Waivers are an important policy lever to watch.

During this webinar, HMA experts Donna Laverdiere and Margaret Tatar discuss considerations for the future of Section 1332 Waivers, the types of modifications states may apply for in the context of a new presidency, and the potential impact on health plans, providers, regulators, and consumers. The webinar also addresses federal guidance on what is and isn’t allowed under a 1332 Waiver. Listen to the recording and:

  • Find out how Section 1332 Waivers can enhance the viability of Exchanges by allowing for innovation in benefits and covered populations.
  • Assess the various Section 1332 Waivers already proposed by states, including a rundown of the types of modifications and innovations being planned.
  • Understand federal limitations on the use of Section 1332 Waivers, including requirements that waivers are deficit neutral and don’t increase federal Exchange subsidies.\
  • Learn about some of the new ideas being considered for Section 1332 Waivers, concepts that could dramatically impact the future of Exchanges and other healthcare programs.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

What Matters Most: Essential Attributes of a High-Quality System of Care for Adults with Complex Care Needs

Watch Now

What are the Essential Attributes of a high-performing healthcare system for adults with complex care needs? The SCAN Foundation convened a working group of national experts that identified four “Essential Attributes,” based on person-centered care that serves the goals and needs of individuals, their families, and caregivers.

During this webinar, representatives from Health Management Associates, The SCAN Foundation, and leading quality measurement organizations will discuss how a growing understanding of the Essential Attributes of high-performing healthcare systems will impact quality reporting and measurement in the future – fostering systems of care that support the independence, health, and well-being of adults with complex care needs in the least restrictive settings possible.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the four Essential Attributes of high-performing systems of care for adults with complex care needs, including the development of informed, compassionate, and accessible care systems that meet the medical and non-medical goals of individuals, their families, and caregivers.
  • Learn how quality measurement organizations are developing metrics that incorporate the Essential Attributes and focus on individuals, their families, and caregivers.
  • Ensure that technical quality metrics result in tangible person-focused care and outcomes for adults with complex care needs.

Speakers
Bruce Chernof, MD, President, Chief Executive, The SCAN Foundation
Sarah Barth, JD,  Principal, Health Management Associates
Tracy Lustig, DPM, MPH,  Senior Director, National Quality Forum
Jessica Briefer French, MHSA, Assistant Vice President, Research, National Committee for Quality Assurance

Who Should Attend
Quality improvement experts; management of quality measurement organizations; executives of Medicaid managed care plans; clinical and administrative leadership of integrated delivery systems and other provider organizations; state and local Medicaid officials.

Register now for this free event.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Physician Perspectives on Using Telemedicine to Address the Shortage of Mental Health Providers

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On August 25, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Physician Perspectives on Using Telemedicine to Address the Shortage of Mental Health Providers.”

Telemedicine, remote patient monitoring and mobile health can increase access to care for underserved populations, especially among mental health patients where demand for services is growing despite an unprecedented shortage of providers. Telemedicine also has the potential to ease the burden facing healthcare organizations as they make the transition to care delivery payment models that stress value over volume. The most effective programs in design and implementation are the ones that utilize certain core features that will be necessary for the highly anticipated new CPT codes for integrated care.

During this webinar, HMA physicians Jean Glossa, MD, an internist; and Lori Raney, MD, a psychiatrist, discuss the impact that telemedicine and other technologies can have on improving access and care for vulnerable mental health populations. They also outline the most important elements of a telemedicine program with a special emphasis on the needs of patients and perspectives of the interdisciplinary teams serving them. Listen to the recording and:

  • Learn how telemedicine can increase access to care for vulnerable populations, especially in disciplines where provider shortages exist, such as mental health.
  • Assess various payment models for telemedicine along with how to effectively measure return-on-investment.
  • Find out why the use of telemedicine in psychiatry is growing and what this means for behavioral integration, care coordination, care quality, reimbursement and cost.
  • Understand the role telemedicine can play as the focus in healthcare shifts to managing total cost of care for patients in risk-sharing arrangements.
Webinar

Webinar Replay: Community-Based Participatory Research

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On June 28, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Community-Based Participatory Research: How to Identify Social Determinants of Health and Engage Hard-to-Reach Populations in Your Community.”

Many organizations, including healthcare and community based organizations, are working hard to address the impact of social, economic, and environmental factors that negatively affect the overall health of a community. These social determinants of health can be difficult to identify, disproportionately strike hard-to-reach populations, and require targeted responses that engage members and help them stay connected to appropriate services, treatments, and interventions.

During this webinar, experts from HMA Community Strategies (HMACS) and the San Francisco Jewish Women’s Fund outline one such initiative to explore qualitatively what the most important needs of a specific population are, and the solutions that they suggest would be helpful. While targeted specifically to single, Jewish mothers in the San Francisco area, the initiative offers important lessons for other organizations attempting to learn more deeply about the needs of their populations, using a community-based participatory research model. Listen to the replay and:

  • Understand the philosophy and methods of community-based participatory research, including the type of interviews, focus groups, and outreach initiatives required to identify community needs.
  • Learn how to identify and engage hard-to-reach, underserved populations in authentic and participatory ways.
  • Understand the best model for connecting underserved populations with childcare, food services, transportation, and other community-based services.
  • Assess efforts by the San Francisco Jewish Women’s Fund to identify and engage low-income, single Jewish mothers and help them foster relationships and build connections rooted in the local community

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Trauma Informed Care

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On June 8, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Trauma Informed Care: The Benefits of Clinical Integration and Organizational Buy-In.”

Healthcare organizations are beginning to recognize the benefits of integrating Trauma Informed Care initiatives into clinical protocols and best practices. Trauma Informed Care is an approach that helps providers and staff identify and address adverse experiences in individual’s lives. The return on investment is measurable, and the costs can be minimal with the right type of training, organizational support, and leadership.

During this webinar, HMA experts Laurie Lockert, Jeffrey Ring, and Karen Hill discuss how organizations can best support the transformation to Trauma Informed Care and how these initiatives improve patients’ outcomes, improve job satisfaction, and reduce costs – consistent with the Triple Aim. Listen to the replay and:

  • Understand the organizational imperative to explore trauma informed approaches to care delivery.
  • Explore how Trauma Informed Care dovetails with broader culturally responsive care management efforts.
  • Appreciate the ROI for embracing trauma informed approaches regarding patient attrition and staff productivity, absenteeism, and job satisfaction.
  • Learn how to provide training and support for Trauma Informed Care initiatives, helping health care teams to better identify trauma symptoms and open up a dialog with patients.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.

Webinar

How to Identify Social Determinants of Health, Engage Hard-to-Reach Populations

Watch Now

Many organizations, including health care and community based organizations, are working hard to address the impact of social, economic, and environmental factors that negatively affect the overall health of a community. These social determinants of health can be difficult to identify, disproportionately strike hard-to-reach populations, and require targeted responses that engage members and help them stay connected to appropriate services, treatments, and interventions. During this webinar, experts from HMA Community Strategies (HMACS) and the San Francisco Jewish Women’s Fund will outline one such initiative to explore qualitatively what the most important needs of a specific population are, and the solutions that they suggest would be helpful.

While targeted specifically to single, Jewish mothers in the San Francisco area, the initiative offers important lessons for other organizations attempting to learn more deeply about the needs of their populations, using a community-based participatory research model.

Speakers

Marci Eads, HMACS Managing Principal, Denver
Robyn Odendahl, HMACS Associate, Denver
Sue Schwartzman, Director of Philanthropic Education, San Francisco Jewish Community Federation

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand the philosophy and methods of community-based participatory research, including the type of interviews, focus groups, and outreach initiatives required to identify community needs.
  2. Learn how to identify and engage hard-to-reach, underserved populations in authentic and participatory ways.
  3. Understand the best model for connecting underserved populations with childcare, food services, transportation, and other community-based services.
  4. Assess efforts by the San Francisco Jewish Women’s Fund to identify and engage low-income, single Jewish mothers and help them foster relationships and build connections rooted in the local community.

Who Should Attend

Leaders of community-based organizations, healthcare funds, social services organizations, state and local governments, Medicaid managed care plans, health systems, integrated delivery systems, accountable care organizations, hospitals, health homes, clinics and public health agencies.

Webinar

Webinar Replay: Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation

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On May 18, 2016, HMA Information Services hosted the webinar, “Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation: The Right Thing to Do for Patients and for Your Organization.”

Physician practices and clinics have good reason to transform themselves into Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH). While many of the care coordination services provided by PCMHs aren’t currently reimbursed, a growing number of payers are looking to reward providers for these services – and providers need to be ready to benefit from all payment opportunities. More importantly, PCMH transformation is the right thing to do for patients. PCMHs are positioned to provide the highest quality care to members, with improved outcomes, prevention and patient satisfaction. Even if there isn’t an immediate financial reward, practices benefit strategically by positioning themselves as care leaders in the local community and solidifying relationships with other healthcare institutions.

During this webinar, HMA experts Linda Follenweider and Jodi Bitterman outlined the steps physician practices must take to transform into PCMHs and provided a list of lessons learned from various transformations to date. Listen to the recording and:

  • Understand the resource requirements necessary for implementing a PCMH transformation and find out about cost-effective tools, technologies and transformation strategies.
  • Learn how to best position your practice to benefit from emerging value-based payment models.
  • Obtain HMA’s list of 10 lessons learned from PCMH transformations, including a run-down of common challenges and pitfalls.
  • Understand the importance of involving the “C-Suite” in any transformation initiatives and learn how to get their support and buy-in.

The slide deck for this webinar can be retrieved by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button below.