ARLINGTON, VA – ADvancing States is pleased to announce the release of a new issue brief, Starting from Square One: Considerations for States Exploring Medicare-Medicaid Integration, developed in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). This issue brief is the latest publication from the MLTSS Institute, which was established in 2016 to drive improvements in key MLTSS policy areas, facilitate sharing and learning among states, and provide direct and intensive technical assistance to states and health plans. This issue brief is the second of three to be published in 2019-2020 focused on aspects of delivering effective care to individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dually eligible beneficiaries).
Only about 2/3 of states have undertaken any activity to better integrate care for dually eligible beneficiaries; many have encountered a number of barriers in pursuing better integration of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This issue brief identifies key questions that states should ask themselves before they design an integrated care program.
Martha Roherty, ADvancing States Executive Director, believes this issue brief provides needed context for state members. “Our members have limited resources and need to marshal them for the highest-value activities. We are so pleased that this issue brief will help them answer the questions that are critical to an effective integrated care program.
These questions include:
- What are the characteristics and needs of the state’s dually eligible beneficiary population?
- What is the landscape of the state’s health care environment?
- How much stakeholder support for integration does the state have?
- What internal capacity is available to support integration efforts?
- What is the state’s approach to integration?
“The need for states to better integrate and coordinate care for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid is greater now than ever before,” said Allison Hamblin, MSPH, CHCS President and CEO. “This brief provides a clear starting place to help states forge an achievable path toward their policy goals.
ADvancing States hopes that this issue brief will help state agencies take the first steps needed to bring the Medicare and Medicaid programs together for dually eligible beneficiaries in a thoughtful way.
Click here to read the issue brief.