Muskie School of Public Service

This policy brief gives background information on what Managed Care is and how it can be used as a model that promotes Medicaid savings. The brief discusses the different factors for success and the quality standards for Medicaid Managed Care.

Help preserve an individual's right to make decisions about their life. Find the least restrictive ways to provide them with care, supervision and support they need. This resource is both a course and a reference guide to help people learn about guardianship and its alternatives to help make informed decisions. While geared towards friends and family, care coordinators, support staff, case managers and attorneys may find the information useful as a review and reference for their clients.

State leaders are interested in the experience of states that developed adult foster care as part of their service array, trends in provider supply, regulations governing providers, and quality oversight practices. This report is based on the policies and practices in five states – Arizona, Maine, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. The states were selected based on their approach to licensing and Medicaid coverage for this residential option. The report focuses on programs for older adults.

In July 2007, NASHP convened grantees from 10 states and CMS to share their experiences in promoting positive outcomes under Money Follows the Person. To aid in this discussion, the Muskie School of Public Service was invited to facilitate the conversation and to provide a framework for discussing the role of quality management under the MFP initiatives. For the past three years, the Muskie School served as technical resource to states in the implementation of CMS quality improvement grants.

This final evaluation report reviews the Maine ADRC project which began with three sites designed to demonstrate the \"no wrong door\" concept. Part I of this report describes the experience of, and recommendations from, the DASH Network in Bangor. Part II of the report focuses on the experience of the 3 local coalitions and their member organizations and highlights coalitions' community development activities and recommendations for future development.

This paper outlines some of the factors program managers may need to consider in identifying strategies for integrating information to support their quality improvement activities. The focus of this paper primarily is on synthesizing information from different data sources and integrating two or more files. For the more technically minded, the Appendix provides examples of states system integration efforts.

This paper walks through different types of HCBS waiver reports and includes steps for thinking through the purpose, content and format, while tailoring report presentation to meet the needs of specific audiences. Wherever possible, state examples are provided and supplemented by sample reports that combine promising features. Seven types of reports are highlighted that guide program management, inform policy development, measure program outcomes and identify areas for quality improvement.

Presenting numbers and patterns is a critical component of data analysis. Once analyses have been completed, the next step involves sharing key findings with staff and stakeholders and using findings as a basis for decision-making. There are a number of ways to present data and the challenge is in constructing an effective visual. This paper provides an overview of the most frequently used formats and includes tips on how to select among the different types.

What do program managers need informed about with data quality management? Many rely on technical staff to actually conduct the technical aspects of data import, cleaning and analysis. Nevertheless, it is important for a program manager to understand the process and to provide the time and resources necessary to produce reliable and accurate data. This paper focuses on ways to assure the accuracy, discusses tools for analyzing trends and patterns and provides tips on interpreting results.

What applications can states use to measure home and community based services? The purpose of this report is to outline the key components of performance measurement and to discuss their relevance and potential use in HCBS.The paper also offers practical approaches for states to gradually build a HCBS performance measurement set to serve as the foundation for their quality management activities and CMS required reporting.