Blue Cross of Massachusetts Foundation: April 2022
The Blue Cross of Massachusetts Foundation recently commissioned two studies related to the American Rescue Plan Act, It also commissioned the third study, to understand whether Primary Care Providers identify a need for a behavioral health provider consultation program for adult patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
Trends in Routine Vaccination and Preventive Services for Children
A robust conversation was held on evidence to date about missed immunizations and well-child visits, gaps in data, and implications for children’s health and public health.
Building an Integrated Behavioral Health Workforce for Children and Families
Participants explored multi-year initiatives that build the capacity of community health centers to deliver high-quality, evidence-informed, trauma-responsive, integrated behavioral health care to children and adolescents.
View Each State’s Efforts to Extend Medicaid Postpartum Coverage
The National Academy of State Health Policy has recently updated its tracking of states’ efforts to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage. Extending services for new mothers is a key step toward improving health outcomes and health equity for children and their family members. About 34 states and the District of Columbia have taken steps toward extending at least some coverage beyond current limits.
Reinforcing the Safety Net: Ensuring the Future of 340B
This webinar focused on the critical role the 340B Drug Pricing Program plays in financing health services in the United States.
Planning for the End of the Continuous Coverage Requirement: A Communications Toolkit for States
The end of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement presents states with tremendous opportunities to keep individuals enrolled in health coverage. This toolkit provides a communications planning guide and template communications resources designed to support state Medicaid agencies as they prepare for the upcoming end of the continuous coverage requirement.
What Eliminating Barriers to Interstate Telehealth Taught Us During the Pandemic
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all states and the federal government approved unprecedented flexibilities that significantly aided the response to the crisis by expanding telehealth, bolstering care in underserved areas, increasing access to mental health services, and importantly, providing some relief for overstressed hospitals and health systems losing health care workers. Now, as temporary waivers in most states are expiring, this publication describes opportunities to apply lessons learned to bring long-term benefits to the health care system.
The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations
This report reviews the research literature to assess the evidence supporting whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access in each of these five dimensions have been effective in reducing health care disparities. The policy initiatives considered vary widely in terms of the decisionmakers best suited to implement them and therefore require multi-sector collaborative solutions to improve access to primary care in underserved areas.
The Power of Partnerships in Improving Health Care Access and Outcomes
Partnerships are essential to improving health care access, and outcomes, and forming partnerships require listening, learning, transparency, and flexibility.