Washington

On February 9, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that eight states and the District of Columbia (DC) have been selected to participate in a new federal initiative, known as the “Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator” (Accelerator), to help strengthen partnerships across housing, disability, aging, and health sectors; access available federal programs and resources, and maximize federal flexibilities to help keep people healthy. The Accelerator will help these states and DC unlock critical resources to reduce homelessness by addressing health-related social needs, such as housing-related services...

This scan highlights examples of strategies in 11 states, including Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Washington State, and Wisconsin, that have been aimed at strengthening the direct care workforce through legislation, American Rescue Plan Act funding and training.

This n4a spotlight focuses on the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington's Community Paramedicine program. Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington (AAADSW) has integrated health care and long-term services and supports by partnering two different Accountable Communities of Health in Washington state: Cascade Pacific Action Alliance (CPAA) and Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH).

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.

CMS recently released a Report to Congress highlighting approaches five state programs implemented to address housing instability and improve treatment outcomes for people with Substance Use Disorder. Initiatives mentioned in the report focus on: providing housing-related supports that facilitate access to community resources; sharing data across systems to identify and target those in need for resources; and partnerships building across state and local health and housing systems and providers.

NCOA and Health Management Associates (HMA) have released a new report detailing eight strategies and approaches to expand funding for evidence-based health programs. NCOA and HMA reviewed five states and one city- California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New York City, and Washington- with community-based organizations that have strong partnerships with Medicaid agencies and managed-care organizations.

This report examines how states can help finance LTSS. It analyzes emerging LTSS social insurance strategies in six states: Washington, Hawaii, Maine, California, Michigan, and Minnesota. The report includes information from 42 stakeholder interviews in these states and outlines lessons learned during the policy change process.

This brief highlights the efforts of states who implemented Value Based Payment initiatives within systems that support individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD). The brief emphasizes the importance of understanding the population and provides an overview of the population served and their length of engagement with the service system. It looks at the experiences of OH and WA in the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Partnership program from April 2018 to September 2019.

This report highlights innovative approaches in supporting family caregivers. The report features programs in Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington.

This paper focuses on how state-funded home and community-based services programs can support low-income older adults. It highlights promising practices that support maximum independence for low-income older adults and/or people with physical disabilities and their family caregivers. The paper explores programs across nine states, including Washington state’s emerging innovation: the Medicaid Transformation demonstration.