Youth mental health professionals discussed efforts to provide care to children in need at the 2024 Texas State of Reform Health Policy Conference last month. Diana Rios-Rodriguez, a registered nurse and director of health and wellness at Manor Independent School District, discussed some of the struggles schools face when trying to provide mental health support … Read more
The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) recently requested an amendment to Washington’s Section 1115 Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP) waiver that would expand coverage for former foster care youth. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved Washington’s request to extend and amend its Section … Read more
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved Washington’s request to extend and amend its Section 1115 Medicaid Transformation Project waiver. The extension will allow Washington to implement new policies and use federal Medicaid funds to improve Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program. The waiver ended on June 30th, and the … Read more
This edition includes information about the state’s preparation for upcoming Medicaid eligibility redeterminations and newly enacted health legislation. Thanks for reading! Eli Kirshbaum State of Reform 1. State agencies prepare for Medicaid redeterminations The first in a series of scheduled rate reductions to Utah Medicaid’s enhanced FMAP will occur at the start of April, … Read more
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, California received an increase in Medicaid funding under the condition that disenrollments would be postponed for as long as the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) remained active, which allowed millions of Californians to remain on Medi-Cal during the unprecedented health crisis. But with the Federal Consolidated Appropriations … Read more
Children’s hospitals in Texas are looking to the 88th Legislature to prioritize the behavioral and developmental health of children, adolescents, and teens. Hospital officials are looking to 2023 to build out infrastructure and services to meet the mental health needs of children, which they say are greater than ever. “The piece that’s unique … Read more
The Biden administration wants to minimize the fallout from the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), whenever it occurs. At the top of the list of concerns is the insurance status of people who have been able to stay on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) without having to comply with … Read more
Recent data from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey show that 84% of low-income children who qualified for Medicaid in 2021 in Utah were not enrolled. That is the highest rate in the country among the 36 states that have expanded Medicaid. It’s also higher than Wyoming, which is a non-expansion state with more … Read more
Program awarded for innovation in improving equity in postpartum care Parkland Health’s extending Maternal Care After Pregnancy (eMCAP) program was nationally recognized by winning the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge, a national competition launched by the HHS Office on Women’s Health and the Centers for Medicare and … Read more
Children’s mental health advocates in Texas are calling for more legislation in the next session to address gaps in mental health care support for families and schools. Texans Care for Children (TCC) outlined its policy recommendations for the legislature to bolster mental health support for children and youth on Wednesday, saying “significant steps” … Read more