Medicaid

KFF’s new state Medicaid budget survey anticipates Medicaid enrollment will begin to decline in FY 2023, following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The 22nd annual survey finds that states expect growth in Medicaid enrollment to slow to 8.4 percent in FY 2022 (down from 11.2 percent the previous year) before declining by 0.4 percent in FY 2023.

This brief includes a checklist of eight key questions that can help state purchasers and other payers develop a robust payment and spending strategy focused on advancing health equity. Each question includes concrete state examples for adopting health equity-focused payment methods. This brief is a product of Advancing Health Equity, a national initiative supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that is working with states to pursue payment innovations that support health equity.

This brief explores design considerations and policy levers Medicaid agencies may consider for encouraging uptake of tech-enabled innovation within Medicaid managed care. The brief is a product of the Medicaid Innovation Collaborative, which brings together Medicaid programs, their managed care plans, and other stakeholders to spread tech innovations that can improve the health of Medicaid populations. The collaborative is led by Acumen America, Adaptation Health, and the Center for Health Care Strategies and supported by The MolinaCares Accord, CommonSpirit Health, and Hopelab.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through CMS, awarded approximately $25 million in planning grants to five new states and territories to expand access to home and community-based services through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration program. With these awards, 41 states and territories across the country will now participate in MFP. Awards of up to $5 million have been granted to Illinois, Kansas, and New Hampshire, as well as for American Samoa and Puerto Rico. This is the first time MFP grants have been made available to territories. These awards will support the early planning phase for their MFP programs.

This KFF issue brief describes the anticipated enrollment changes in pathways based on old age or disability (“non-MAGI”) after the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends, state enrollment and renewal policies for non-MAGI groups as of January 1, 2022, and state plans for resuming normal operations when the PHE ends.

When states use a Medicaid managed care delivery system, the contracted managed care organizations (MCOs) generally determine provider payment rates. However, in certain circumstances states may direct payments to providers through the MCOs in accordance with state-set criteria. In this report, GAO describes (1) the use of state directed payments in Medicaid, and (2) CMS's changes to guidance and oversight of these payments.

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.

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.

To best meet the health-related needs of Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries, and address equity within these programs and services, Medicaid leaders should reflect the varied populations they serve. Medicaid leaders are more likely to relate to the needs and challenges of their members when they share the identities of enrollees. This blog post and infographic from CHCS highlight key strategies for diversifying the Medicaid leadership pipeline, drawing from a CHCS report developed with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In this Health Affairs blog post, Nancy Archibald, MHA, MBA, CHCS’ Associate Director for Federal Integrated Care Programs, outlines perspectives from state Medicaid officials on the federal policies that have advanced Medicare-Medicaid integration, and areas where they believe additional federal policy actions are needed.