Persistent gaps in women’s health research, funding, clinical outcomes and access are increasingly well-studied, however less emphasis is placed on the role of coding, coverage, and reimbursement and whether male or female gaps exist in each of these key market access domains. The paper, Coding, Coverage and Reimbursement: Considerations for Women鈥檚 Health Access, examines challenges in these areas and offers recommendations to increase awareness, establish evaluative processes, and collaborative action to achieve incremental policy changes that can have a significant impact over time.
105 Results found.
Finding a Path to Support Aging in Place in California聽
New 海角社区 report discusses the unmet needs of older adults in low-income housing, highlighting the challenges of siloed programs and the difficulty in blending services
Research consistently shows that more than 70 percent of Americans want to age in place, remaining in their own homes. Yet the country鈥檚 shifting demographics, rising costs for long-term services and supports, and changing financing landscape make achieving this goal more challenging than ever, especially for low-income older adults. In fact, more than one-quarter million older Californians live in senior affordable housing developments that range in size from a few dozen apartments to over a thousand units in large high rises. Most striking was the finding that while many of these residents are not only low-income and disproportionately burdened with chronic disease and also dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare鈥攁 group shown in countless studies to represent a considerable proportion of Medicare and Medicaid costs, but that few residents appear to participate in aligned Medicare and Medicaid special needs plans (D-SNPs) or to access Medi-Cal waiver services.
The report gathers direct input from older adults, including Asian populations, in eight languages, addresses critical funding gaps, and identifies policy priorities that if implemented offer innovative recommendations for California to reduce duplication and better serve older adults using current resources.
Medicaid Financing for Social Health: A Resource Compendium for Illinois Community-Based Organizations & Networks
海角社区 (海角社区) prepared this compendium in September 2025 on behalf of the Chicago Department of Public Health. It was developed at a pivotal moment, as Illinois was poised to take action on multiple program initiatives of critical importance to community providers: reprocure its Medicaid Managed Care system, initiate provider training for 1115 Medicaid Waiver services that address social determinants of health (SDOH), prepare a new Community Health Worker (CHW) benefit, continue implementation of Doula services as a Medicaidcovered benefit, and establish a Third Party Administrator (TPA) support system to promote statewide access to new services, potentially via regional hubs.
A team of subject matter experts with deep experience in Illinois鈥檚 social health and healthcare sectors, as well as national social health integration efforts, created this resource to help organizations evaluate how these program initiatives will affect the services they provide, understand their opportunities to successfully participate in the Medicaid delivery system, and support their ability to effectively serve the needs of their communities. The team brings extensive knowledge of how community-based organizations (CBOs) deliver Medicaid-financed CHW and SDOH services, as well as the alternative payment methodologies managed care organizations (MCOs) use as they engage CBOs to promote population health.
In this context, this compendium is intended to address the following targeted needs identified by stakeholders across the Illinois community-based social health service ecosystem:
- Guidance to support CBOs鈥� understanding of their value in advancing population health improvement goals, aligning with regional healthcare providers and payers, and identifying opportunities to sustainably fund social health services through Medicaid
- Insights for CBOs, CBO networks, and emerging CBO hubs and Community Care Hubs (CCHs), with a focus on governance, shared IT infrastructure, financing and integration into the healthcare delivery system
- Strategic considerations for contracting with Managed Care Organizations to provide social health care services Information to clarify the roles, scopes, and opportunities for collaboration/dual certifications within the community-based workforce that delivers Medicaid services, specifically CHWs, Doulas, and Peer Support Specialists
- Information from other states on their Doula benefits implementation and Doula hubs to support Medicaid service delivery
Complete the form to receive a copy of the report
Understanding Substance Use Disorders & the Use of Medications for聽Treatment
Education Materials for Patients, Families, Educators and Non-Prescribing Providers
This is a comprehensive set of substance use disorder聽(SUD)聽education materials for patients, families, educators, and non-prescribing providers.聽In recognition of September being National Recovery Month, this document is fully downloadable for community use without restriction. 聽聽
The toolkit was made available through a joint effort of the California Department of Health Care Services Opioid Response Project and HMA. Coaching and technical assistance for this project was funded through DHCS by State Opioid Response Funds from SAMHSA. The bilingual patient education materials are written in accessible language for most audiences, in both Spanish and English.
The materials can be used to broadly disseminate information across a community or with individual patients, family members and non-prescribing providers. These SUD educational materials were created using the latest research and information available. They are meant to be concrete and easily accessible with simple language that promotes increased understanding of each topic. Some of the topics touched upon include evidenced-based treatment options such as Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).
Medicaid Coverage of Breastfeeding Support and Supplies
This report presents an independent landscape analysis by 海角社区 (海角社区) examining Medicaid coverage of breastfeeding services and supplies in six states: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, Oregon, and Vermont. The analysis explores the availability and implementation of lactation consultation services and breast pump benefits within these state Medicaid programs, based on policy reviews and interviews with key stakeholders. Participants included state Medicaid officials, WIC representatives, lactation providers, managed care organizations, community-based organizations, and breastfeeding experts.
Findings reveal persistent barriers to access, inconsistencies in policy execution, and implementation gaps. The report highlights effective practices currently in use and offers targeted policy recommendations to enhance service delivery, promote equitable access, and improve maternal and infant health outcomes. This analysis serves as a strategic resource for stakeholders seeking to strengthen Medicaid鈥檚 role in supporting breastfeeding families.
Project FoodBox: The Case for Food Is Medicine
This literature review explores the concept of Food Is Medicine (FIM)鈥攁 healthcare approach that integrates nutrition-based interventions to prevent, manage, and treat chronic diseases. The report emphasizes the role of produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals (MTMs) and groceries in improving health outcomes, especially among low-income populations.
Los Angeles County Child Welfare-Involved Population Medi-Cal Analysis
Comparative Analysis of the Engagement in Care for Children in Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service vs. Managed Care and Learnings from Enhanced Care Management Early Implementation
In November 2023, the Los Angeles (LA) County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to address the implementation of new benefits for the child welfare-involved population launched through California鈥檚 Medicaid waiver, California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal, known as CalAIM. The CalAIM waiver expanded services to managed care beneficiaries, including enhanced care management (ECM) for coordinated case management, referrals, and community resource navigation and community supports, such as housing assistance, medically tailored meals, housing modifications, respite care for caregivers, and asthma management. These benefits are designed to better address health and social needs for the most vulnerable and at risk Medi-Cal beneficiaries, including children and youth involved in the child welfare system. The Board directed the Office of Child Protection (OCP), in collaboration with key county departments, to engage 海角社区, Inc. (海角社区), as the technical assistance provider.
Recognizing that approximately two-thirds of child welfare-involved children and youth in LA County are enrolled in fee-for-service (FFS) Medi-Cal and ineligible for new CalAIM supports, 海角社区 conducted a comparative analysis of the experience of children involved in the child welfare system in FFS versus managed care Medi-Cal through an analysis of federal T-MSIS data looking at a snapshot of data from December 2022. The analysis examined the experience of the child welfare-involved population in primary and preventive healthcare services (including well-child visits, dental visits, behavioral health) in Medi-Cal FFS versus managed care plan enrollment (MCPs) to inform decisions about existing practices for care management among the child welfare-involved population. The comparative analysis of the child welfare population in Los Angeles County, San Diego County, and Riverside County revealed children in managed care consistently showed higher rates of engagement in primary and preventative healthcare services.
Medicaid Expansion: Data-Driven Insights into Healthcare Needs and State 1115 Implementation Trends
This 10-slide presentation, Medicaid Expansion: Data-Driven Insights into Healthcare Needs, offers a focused analysis of the Medicaid Expansion population鈥攏on-disabled adults ages 19鈥�64 with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level鈥攁cross more than 40 states. Using recent T-MSIS data, the deck highlights the high prevalence of chronic and behavioral health conditions within this group, while also detailing demographic trends among the approximately 16 million enrollees.
Developed by Matt Powers, Shreyas Ramani, Loren Anthes, and Lora Saunders, the presentation contextualizes health needs with Medicaid spending patterns, comparing the Expansion group to other eligibility categories, such as dual eligibles and children. It also breaks down pharmacy spending by therapeutic class, spotlighting common conditions like opioid use disorder. In light of recent federal legislative proposals such as H.R. 1, the deck explores how states are beginning to navigate policy changes through 1115 waiver activity鈥攑articularly around medically frail and good cause exemptions鈥攐ffering early insight into likely implementation strategies.
Disaggregating Managed Care Payments Provides Opportunities for New Insights into Medicaid Spending for Critical Populations
海角社区 focused this paper on how states disperse Medicaid funds to certain subpopulations within the program鈥檚 categorical eligibility infrastructure. A previous companion paper centered on increasing our understanding of Medicaid managed care spending by provider, offering more detail on the relative order of magnitude of the amounts spent on inpatient and outpatient hospital care, professional services, long-term care, pharmacy, and other health services.
As the latest national Medicaid managed care enrollment data show 75% of Medicaid beneficiaries were enrolled in comprehensive managed care organizations (MCOs), these two foundational papers illustrate the importance of developing a sound methodology to reliably estimate costs associated with MCOS. These papers, which are the first to present findings related to the development of the MCO methodologies, help lay the foundation for further work that will enable us to answer relevant questions, including:
- How much do we spend on Medicaid patients with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and hypertension?
- How much do we spend on Medicaid patients receiving long-term services and supports (LTSS) and what is the unmet need?
- How is Medicaid funding spent on childbirth and a child鈥檚 first year of life?
- What are the opportunities to be more efficient and effective with Medicaid resources?
Section 1115 Justice-Involved Reentry Demonstration Implementation Toolkit for Jail, Prison, and Juvenile Settings
This toolkit provides a set of implementation checklists for Section 1115 Justice-Involved Reentry Demonstrations tailored to three carceral settings: jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities. Each checklist outlines operational tasks across core domains to support effective planning, coordination, and continuity of care pre- and post-release.
This toolkit is intended to provide information for jails, prisons, and youth detention centers in states contemplating submitting a 1115 Justice-Involved Reentry Demonstration, as well as states that have an approved demonstration. All states with approved demonstrations must provide core services, including care management for physical and behavioral health, medication assisted treatment for individuals when clinically indicated before release, and medication in hand at release. It is important to note that states may vary in their populations of focus, care management models, and processes for submitting claims. It is essential to cross-reference your state鈥檚 demonstration when planning to operationalize this initiative.
What鈥檚 Really Causing the Rise in Insurance Premiums, and What Can States Do About It?
Healthcare cost increases are outpacing general inflation, which jeopardizes access to coverage and care, as well as investments in other priorities. As a result, states are looking for ways to reduce the cost burden for consumers, employers, and taxpayers. The State of Maine engaged Wakely Consulting Group, an 海角社区 Company, to analyze historical medical trends and the associated impact on premiums in Maine鈥檚 health insurance market for the period of 2021 to 2025. The goal was to assess what factors are driving rising insurance costs. This project was supported by an 海角社区 contract with Arnold Ventures, under which we provide technical assistance to states seeking to reduce healthcare cost growth.
Unlocking Solutions in Medicaid for Addressing the National Crisis and Improving Children鈥檚 Behavioral Health聽聽
Late 2024, 海角社区 convened a panel of experts, including individuals with lived experience and state leaders, to spotlight the critical need for cross-system transformation. The discussion underscored the importance of centering youth and family voices, aligning placement and community-based services, and leveraging opportunities like the Family First Prevention Services Act, Medicaid waivers, and specialty managed care models. As states grapple with a behavioral health workforce crisis and insufficient foster care placements, the path forward requires bold, coordinated strategies grounded in flexibility, equity, and evidence. This brief includes key takeaways from the 2024 panel and outlines actionable insights to guide the transformation of the children鈥檚 behavioral health system.