Medicaid

Health Care System Accepting New Math: Housing = Health

November 18, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Health Care Costs

Stories That Caught Our Attention: The nation's largest health insurer is trying a new strategy -- improving care for Medicaid enrollees with complex medical problems by providing social assistance, including housing.

Five Victories for Public Health: Courts Enjoin the Public Charge Rule

October 22, 2019

Wendy E. Parmet

Coverage Trends

Five federal district courts have issued preliminary injunctions against the Trump administration’s public charge rule. The actions blocked a policy expected to reduce immigrants’ access to health care, burden safety-net providers, and jeopardize public health in immigrant communities.

Medi-Cal Waivers and State Plan Amendments

Two short documents provide an overview of Medicaid waivers and State Plan Amendments, and how they are used in California. A one-page comparison chart shows the differences between these two policy instruments.

Voluntary Behavioral Health Integration in Medi-Cal: What Can Be Achieved Under Current Law

Anil Shankar, Diane Ung

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal

This paper was prepared by two attorneys with extensive experience in structuring Medicaid financing for safety-net providers. It explores different contracting structures through which a county could lead efforts to create opportunities for integration of physical and behavioral health care.

White House Requires Immigrants to Purchase Health Insurance

October 11, 2019

Billy Wynne, Dawn Joyce

Expanding Health Coverage, Coverage Trends

The government sets another policy that will diminish immigrant communities’ access to health care and other essential services.

Researchers Call for Quality-Improvement Changes in Medi-Cal Plans

October 7, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Shifting to value-based payments could encourage Medi-Cal managed care plans to meet or exceed quality metrics.

White House Puts National Spotlight on California Homelessness

September 23, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal, Homelessness & Health Care

Stories That Caught Our Attention: President Trump's new interest in California’s homelessness crisis has state officials questioning why White House proposals neglect key drivers of the problem.

Roundtables Highlight Common Tech Challenges Facing Medicaid Programs

September 6, 2019

Melissa Buckley

The innovation opportunity in California and across the nation is huge, with one in five Americans enrolled in a state Medicaid program.

September 23, 2019

Briefing — An Introduction to California’s Public Mental Health System

Behavioral Health

September 23, 2019

At this CHCF briefing participants learned the fundamentals of the history and financing of the mental health system for people insured through Medi-Cal.

The Final Public Charge Rule Is Out. Here’s How It Affects Immigrants.

August 16, 2019

Billy Wynne, Dawn Joyce

Medi-Cal, Health Equity

The government has finalized immigration restrictions, creating a preference for wealthy, English-speaking, insured, and educated immigrants, while erecting hurdles for immigrants who are poor.

Expanding Medicaid Can Save Lives

August 12, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: A new study suggests that the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion reduced death rates among older adults with low incomes.

Infographic: Tech-Enabled Innovation in Medicaid

Investing in Innovation

This interactive infographic highlights the areas within Medicaid where technology-enabled solutions can have the greatest impact, according to the more than 100 stakeholders that CHCF convened through its Primed Roundtable Series.

Integrated Physical and Behavioral Health in Medicaid Managed Care

Logan Kelly, Michelle Conway, Michelle Herman Soper

Behavioral Health

This brief distills insights from providers in three states — Arizona, New York, and Washington — that have recently transitioned to integrated managed care for physical and behavioral health conditions. It was written by the Center for Health Care Strategies with support from the Blue Shield of California Foundation and CHCF.

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Under the ACA

Caroline Au Yeung, Colin Planalp

Behavioral Health

The ACA mandated mental health and addiction coverage parity to beneficiaries in the individual and small-group markets and to Medicaid expansion beneficiaries. This brief, prepared by SHADAC with CHCF support, details how the ACA applied these mandates and presents estimates of the number of people affected.

These Four Federal Proposals Would Have Major Health Implications for Immigrants

Billy Wynne, Dawn Joyce

Coverage Trends, Medi-Cal

The federal government seeks to modify federal policies with harmful changes that could hurt immigrants’ access to health care and other public benefits while weakening the health and social safety net.