States Obtain Special Waivers to Help Unwinding Efforts
This brief discusses state uptake of special waivers aimed to mitigate procedural disenrollments during the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision.
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This brief discusses state uptake of special waivers aimed to mitigate procedural disenrollments during the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision.
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In September 2023, the National Institutes of Health designated people with disabilities as a population experiencing health disparities, which will help ensure that people with disabilities are represented in research funded by the National Institutes. Also in September of 2023, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule that would update the requirements for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability. Among other changes, the proposed rule would codify the Olmstead court decision, which requires people with disabilities to be served in the most integrated setting that is appropriate. The new designation and proposed rule may reflect, in part, an increased awareness of the challenges and health disparities faced by people with disabilities, many of which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
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In September 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new opportunity for states to leverage federal funding on health care: the Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) model. With this model, CMS – under the auspices of the CMS Innovation Center, also known as CMMI -- aims to reduce the rate of growth in health care spending, improve people's health, and reduce disparities in health outcomes. This issue brief answers some key questions about the new model and explores considerations for potential state and private participants.
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Rising concerns about mental health and substance use disorder have led to new policy initiatives and funding to improve access and quality of services to address mental health crisis. While crisis call centers are accessible nationwide, the availability and characteristics of other components of the crisis continuum--mobile crisis units and stabilization centers--vary across and within states, as does the financing of these systems. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed in 2021, had several Medicaid-focused provisions to improve and expand access to crisis systems in Medicaid. Medicaid programs can access the 85% enhanced federal match for ARPA mobile crisis services for eligible Medicaid enrollees. As of November 2023, 13 states obtained CMS approval for state plans amendments to cover ARPA community-based mobile crisis intervention services, making them eligible for enhanced federal matching funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) option. Beyond the ARPA incentives, recent Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations into police handling of mental health calls could spur expansion of mobile crisis.
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This brief gauges Medicaid enrollees’ perspectives on their health insurance, based on findings from KFF’s Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance, fielded February 21 through March 14, 2023. This brief provides an overview of the survey findings, describes Medicaid enrollees’ views of their health and health coverage, explores problems those with Medicaid experience, compares how Medicaid performs relative to Medicare and private coverage, and reviews variation in Medicaid experiences.
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