National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)

NASHP is leading an opportunity for states to participate in an 18-month Caregiving State Policy Collaborative. The participating states will share best practices and opportunities to strengthen policies and strategies to improve family caregiver policy. This builds upon action steps in the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. States will also learn from subject matter experts and be able to provide ongoing feedback to NASHP that will inform a state implementation guide of action steps.

This report, by the University of Massachusetts at Boston and Community Catalyst, shares information collected from family caregiver listening sessions. The sessions were intended to give family caregivers the opportunity to communicate their challenges, needs, and suggest recommendations for services, supports and policies. Findings from the sessions cover topics including emotional and financial stress, caregiving education and training, workplace flexibility, and tax policy change.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, states have used the Appendix K Emergency Preparedness and Response authority to amend Medicaid 1915(c) home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers and quickly provide more flexible services and supports to Medicaid enrollees and, indirectly, their caregivers. The Appendix K amendment was developed to reduce states’ administrative burdens during a crisis by enabling states to rapidly modify or add services provided through Medicaid waivers.

Many adults enrolled in Medicaid lack adequate dental care coverage. Oregon uses Medicaid coordinated care organizations to offer integrated physical, mental health, and now oral care. A new NASHP report, supported by the DentaQuest Foundation, examines Oregon’s innovative payment and financing structures, incentive measures, and key partnerships that were important to building this model. This report is helpful for policymakers considering integrating dental in Medicaid reform.