Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS)

CHCS and Speire Healthcare Strategies released a report about COVID-19 response efforts from states and health plans that offer integrated care programs for duals. People who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid are among the nation’s most vulnerable to the coronavirus. The report outlines opportunities to support integration and identifies opportunities to strengthen programs and policies to best support the dual eligible population during the pandemic and in the future.

This brief draws from interviews with states operating new and long-standing MLTSS programs to identify six major trends in the refinement of MLTSS and underlying LTSS delivery systems nationally. The states examined in this brief are strengthening their Medicaid MLTSS programs to serve more LTSS beneficiaries and facilitate the development of integrated care programs that reduce service fragmentation for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees, particularly through Medicare Advantage D-SNPs

This case study examines the benefits of coordinating care for dually eligible members with serious mental illness. It looks specifically at how one Pennsylvania plan used a robust care coordination and member engagement model to successfully reduce urgent and unplanned inpatient admissions; and optimize health outcomes, quality of life, and self-management skills for individuals with serious mental illness.

This case study explores how health plans can help rebalance LTSS for dually eligible members. It looks at two California health plans who successfully transitioned dually eligible members from institutional to community settings. The case study uses these two examples to identify key elements for supporting dually eligible individuals with LTSS needs during the transition to living in the community.

This technical assistance tool focuses on the new “information sharing” requirement for Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans beginning in 2021. The tool explains the new requirement as well as how to address the requirement in mandatory D-SNP contracts.

This fact sheet was developed as part of the Center’s Helping States Support Families Caring for an Aging America initiative. Six states – Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Virginia- are involved with the initiative. This fact sheet provides an overview of unpaid family caregiving and lists options state leaders can consider implementing in order to support family caregivers in their state.

In 2021, under a recently released rule from CMS, D-SNPs will be required to notify the state or state’s designee when enrollees experience Medicare-covered hospital or skilled nursing facility admissions in order to ensure timely transitions of care. The Integrated Care Resource Center has released a brief that examines approaches from three states – Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee – to develop and implement information-sharing processes for their D-SNPs that support care transitions.

This toolkit summarizes LTSS reform strategies adopted by state innovators. It identifies concrete policy strategies, operational steps, and federal and state authorities that states have used to advance LTSS reforms. It also includes specific case studies and advice for other states looking to implement similar reforms. In addition, CHCS has published a brief for state legislators looking for a summary of options for developing LTSS policies.

This brief uses a series of interviews to explore the ways that Medicaid health plans can work to meet the nutritional needs of low-income older adults. Best practices identified include hiring staff with strong nutrition experience, using assessments to create targeted interventions, adapting effective programs from other populations, and utilizing community resources. This paper is particularly optimistic about the potential of Medicaid partnerships with community-based organizations.

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and Manatt Health has developed a new toolkit that provides a targeted menu of long-term services and supports (LTSS) reform strategies adopted by state innovators that may be replicated by other states. The toolkit identifies concrete policy strategies, operational steps, and federal and state authorities that states have used to advance their LTSS reforms.