Alaska lawmakers held a meeting last week to review legislation that would increase behavioral healthcare parity for Medicaid-covered services. House Concurrent Resolution 9 and House Bill 361, both sponsored by Rep. Mike Prax (R-North Pole), seek parity in coverage of benefits for Medicaid mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatments in Alaska. Riley Nye, … Read more

As the state with the highest number of uninsured people in the U.S., Texas is looking at ways to increase coverage. Health professionals discussed the challenges Texans face and a variety of options to increase coverage at the 2024 Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference last month. Texas 2036, a public policy think tank, … Read more

Hawaii

Med-QUEST Division (Hawaii’s Medicaid program) submitted an application to renew its 1115 Demonstration waiver to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Jan. 17, and division leaders discussed the request at the 2024 Hawaii State of Reform Health Policy Conference in January.  Hawaii has had a 1115 waiver since 1994, and renews it … Read more

Staff from the Alaska Department of Health (DOH) presented a bill to the legislature that would expand access to school-based services for Medicaid eligible children. Senate Bill 240 is sponsored by the Senate Rules Committee at the request of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. DOH Commissioner Heidi Hedberg introduced the bill at a Senate Health and Social … Read more

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is applying for a five-year extension to the current Healthy Texas Women (HTW) 1115 waiver.  HHSC plans to submit the application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in March. The current waiver expires Dec. 31st, 2024. Michelle Erwin, deputy associate commissioner in the office … Read more

A bill that would require the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to submit a 1115 waiver to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Medicaid reimbursement for traditional healing services for the state’s Native population has crossed over into the opposite chamber. Senate Bill 181, sponsored by Sen. Luz … Read more

Leaders in the healthcare community discussed ways to engage patients and develop a stronger care continuum at the 2023 Tennessee State of Reform Health Policy Conference last month. Patients often need prompting and support in order to successfully engage themselves in the care continuum. Scott Bowers, chief executive officer at Spiras Health, said patients need … Read more

Stephen Smith, director of the Division of Tenncare, discussed the ways the division has changed over the years to become more cost-effective during the 2023 Tennessee State of Reform Health Policy Conference opening plenary. The division’s 2022 fiscal year proposed budget shows that TennCare represents 19.7 percent of the state’s overall budget. Smith said TennCare’s … Read more

Policy leaders and community advocates came together at the 2023 Tennessee State of Reform conference last month to discuss coverage retention efforts during the Medicaid unwinding,  and what the healthcare system is doing to support Tennesseans through the process.  The Division of TennCare is currently working its way through the federally required Medicaid redeterminations. The … Read more

Since Medicaid redeterminations began in April 2023, 1.4 million Texans have been disenrolled from the program. Approximately 759,700 people in the state have had their coverage renewed.  As of their most recently published redetermination dashboard from October, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) reported 24% of redeterminations had not been initiated, while 76% … Read more