White Papers

10.26.17

Communities in Crisis: Local Responses to Behavioral Health Challenges

As the opioid and mental health crises continue to gain national attention, local leaders are stepping up to implement programs to address the prevalence and impact of untreated serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD). In a new report supported by the Robert Wood Johnson ...




10.10.17

Summary of House and Senate CHIP Legislation

In early October 2017, both the House and Senate marked up legislation to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which covers nearly 9 million children and is a key contributor to record-low levels of uninsured children. However, Congress provided funding for CHIP ...




10.03.17

Integrating MassHealth LTSS: Considerations for ACOs and MCOs

Massachusetts and the nation as a whole are beginning to grapple with how to improve access to quality care for individuals who require long-term service and supports (LTSS) while simultaneously containing costs. In November 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved a ...




09.20.17

Impacts of New Graham-Cassidy Repeal and Replace Proposal

On September 13, 2017, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA)—along with Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) and former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)—released a new proposal to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) . The new ...




07.27.17

BCRA Medicaid Provisions: Analysis of Impact on New York

In a new analysis prepared for the Coalition of New York State Public Health Plans (PHP Coalition), Manatt Health projects that if the current healthcare bill in the U.S. Senate—the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA)—is passed, New York’s Medicaid program will lose $40 ...




07.13.17

Establishing a Medicaid Per Capita Cap: Implications for California

Both the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Senate’s draft Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) of 2017 propose major changes to Medicaid’s financing structure. These include caps on federal funding for nearly all Medicaid beneficiaries and services. Currently the ...




06.27.17

Impact of the AHCA and BCRA on Montana Medicaid

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), which includes two changes to Medicaid that would have far-reaching consequences for the Montana Medicaid program, its participants, healthcare providers and the state budget. Specifically, it would cap federal ...




05.19.17

How Arizona Medicaid Accelerated the Integration of Physical and Behavioral Health Services

In most states, one agency has responsibility for Medicaid enrollees’ physical health services, and at least one other agency has responsibility for their behavioral health services. Apportioning responsibility for the physical and behavioral health of Medicaid beneficiaries into different ...




05.03.17

Medicaid Family Planning Programs: Six Years Post-ACA Implementation

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) brought sweeping changes to the Medicaid program that have had profound implications for family planning coverage, services and providers. In particular, in the 17 states with family planning programs that have expanded Medicaid, many women have moved from limited ...




05.03.17

Medicaid’s Role in Public Emergencies and Health Crises

When it comes to natural disasters and public health crises, it is not surprising—in fact, it is expected—that federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention step in and help the victims. While less known, ...