Advocates

Patient and staff-reported measures are a key way to assess the quality and experience of care for people with complex needs. CHCS worked with health care organizations to test new measures for understanding patient and staff experiences related to well-being, equity, goals of care, and care integration. This brief explores insights from the Center for the Urban Child and Healthy Family at Boston Medical Center, Hill Country Community Clinic, and Denver Health, which used these measures to assess quality within their organizations.

On Monday, June 27, 2022 the Biden Administration announced a new model aimed at improving cancer care for Medicare patients and lowering health care costs. CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation designed the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) to test how to improve health care providers’ ability to deliver patient-centered care and consider patients’ unique needs. The model will focus on supporting patients, caregivers, and survivors, while addressing inequities and providing patients with treatments that address their individual needs.

The Housing and Services Resource Center was created for people who work in the space of housing resources and homelessness services, behavioral and mental health services, independent living services and other supportive services. The Center is part of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to expand affordable housing, improve home and community-based services, and address bias in America's long-term care system.

NCOA's free BenefitsCheckUp tool, used to connect aging professionals and their community to benefits programs, has been updated to be more accessible. The new version of the tool includes details on 2,000 benefits in English and Spanish, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicare Savings Programs, Affordable Connectivity Program; free, confidential eligibility checks by program or category; and Personalized support via a call center, chat, email, and connections to local centers.

JAMA researchers found lower service use and lower Medicaid spending among the Black population for both during a review of health care spending statistics between White and Black Medicaid enrollees. Medicaid beneficiaries make up a diverse population, yet existing disparities persist. To explore differences in Medicaid spending between Black and White populations, researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using data from three states in 2016. Researchers used data from 1,966,689 enrollees in the study, including both adults and children. Of this population, 867,183 identified as non-Hispanic Black, and 1,099,506 identified as non-Hispanic White.

Evidence-based community falls prevention programs can reduce falls, risk factors, and costs associated with falls. Community-based programs address a wide range of risk factors such as improving muscle strength and balance, removing home hazards that contribute to falls, and increasing confidence to engage in falls-reduction activities. NCOA's infographic highlights key statistics on falls injuries and solutions to help save lives and money.

CHCS has announced a nine-month leadership development program designed to support a cohort of senior Medicaid leaders in developing skills to lead a complex organization like Medicaid, as well as improve outcomes for enrollees by enhancing state capacity. The Medicaid Pathways aims to help Medicaid leaders who are new to their leadership role and/or are interested in advancing to a more senior role in the future, especially individuals with diverse backgrounds, including people of color, people with disabilities, and individuals with personal experience with Medicaid or another publicly financed program.

On June 22, 2022 The Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released a first-of-its-kind package of resources to address unsheltered homelessness and homeless encampments, including funds specifically to address homelessness in rural communities. The $365 million package includes grant funds and vouchers that will enhance communities’ capacity to address unsheltered homelessness by connecting vulnerable individuals and families to housing, health care, and supportive services. This initiative promotes partnerships with health care organizations, public housing authorities and mainstream housing providers, and people with lived experience and expertise of homelessness.

MACPAC has released its June 2022 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The report recommends measures that Congress can take to better monitor access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries, improve the oversight and transparency of managed care directed payments, increase access to vaccines for adults enrolled in Medicaid, encourage the uptake of health information technology in behavioral health, and better integrate care for Medicaid and Medicare dual-eligibles. The commission also offers policy levers that states and the federal government can use to promote equity in Medicaid.

The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health has released a toolkit allowing partners to provide input into the development and implementation of a national strategy on hunger, nutrition, and health that will be announced in September 2022. The toolkit is designed to faciliate conversations with members about ending hunger, improving nutrition, and increasing physical activity.