Center for Health Care Strategies’ Post

How can Medicaid agencies, plans, and providers better engage members to learn from their experiences and create more responsive programs and policies? This question is at the forefront for states and health care orgs nationwide as they seek to improve community engagement and better serve their populations. This new chockfull resource center from the Center for Health Care Strategies offers practical tools to help Medicaid stakeholders connect with the community, including resources that amplify members' voices. #Medicaid #CommunityEngagement #HealthEquity

Community member engagement has become an important element of Medicaid program and policy design in recent years, especially as a means of promoting health equity. New rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will further accelerate community engagement efforts across the nation. This new resource center, developed by the Center for Health Care Strategies, offers practical tools and guidance to help Medicaid stakeholders engage community members in policy and program design. It features best practices, as well as examples of successful community engagement strategies — from informal channels to structured approaches like community advisory committees. https://bit.ly/4c7DVrF Anna Spencer, MPH, Courtney Shahan Roman

In our latest blog, Sarabeth Zemel discusses the support for utilizing Community Care Hubs in states' #Medicaid 1115 waivers as they work to address health related social needs (#HRSNs). Read more about the innovative strategies that states are implementing here: https://lnkd.in/g_xXDNQU #1115Waiver #NorthCarolina #NYS #CalAIM

Back in July, I contributed my lived experience and co-authored this article, part of the Health Affairs Forefront series on Medicare and Medicaid Integration! As an Amplify Speaker and a seat on the Consumer Scholars Round Table, I advocated for health plans to include peer specialists in Enrollee Advisory Committees (EACs). Our group emphasized the importance of community health workers, peer specialists, and plan members as EAC leaders. They bring invaluable perspectives, foster inclusive and representative spaces, and bridge the differences in language, culture, and experience. Let's champion diverse voices in shaping the future of integrated care! Check out our other insights in the latest article, discussing recommendations for D-SNPs to navigate misalignments with Enrollee Advisory Committees. Best Practice? Peers should be at the tables where the decisions about them are being made. My absolute favorite (and most challenging) role of being a Peer Specialist, is being a change agent. 💪🏼 #HealthEquity #HealthCare #Medicare #Medicaid #PeerSpecialist #CamdenCoalition #OaksintegratedCare #systemsofcare

3 new case studies showcasing lessons learned from the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model are now available: go.cms.gov/ahcm. The model aimed to address #healthrelatedsocialneeds through screening, referral, and community navigation services.

Still smiling from yesterday’s training with staff from two local CBOs. With support from Health Net & HealthBegins’ signature “community health detailing” method, these experts from local CBOs will ‘detail’ LA-based primary care practices over the next 4 months to help reduce racial inequities in well-child visits among Medicaid beneficiaries. It’s a proven “outside-in” model we’ve used across the country that taps the power of nonprofit community-based organizations to help clinical practices meet health care equity-related performance goals and strengthen clinical-community partnerships for patients harmed by societal practices. Sincere thanks to local CBO partners (WIN-LA, Frontline Doulas) & Pooja Mittal Anush Schoepf, MPH Pallavi Sharma, MPH Naomi Lam, MPH Alejandra Cabrera, MPH (she/her/ella) Sara Bader Taleen Yepremian https://winla.org/ https://lnkd.in/g7kQ3NuK To learn more about this method and how it can help your Medicaid managed care plan or health system to drive equity-focused outcomes, contact HealthBegins ([email protected])

Great summary of key points and take aways for FQHCs.

Across the U.S., health care payers, providers, and policymakers are seeking ways to better engage community members to invest in programs and services that meet community needs. Engaging Medicaid enrollees and people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid can positively impact health outcomes, lead to more culturally appropriate interventions, and empower communities that have been historically disenfranchised.  This Better Care Playbook Collection highlights emerging evidence and best practices on implementing community engagement interventions seeking to better meet community needs and improve health equity. https://bit.ly/43x2U4U

We need to start making the point that the financial designs are so bad where the public plans are concentrated, that only 4 types of basic health access will remain 1. Direct Primary Care 2. Concierge care 3. Primary care for those with better employers and employer based plans 4. Community Health Centers The death of other sources of primary care, mental health, women's health, basic surgical, and geriatrics is assured where the worst public plans are concentrated along with the worst employers and their worst employer based plans. I know everyone wants to get along at HHS, but the fact of the matter is that CMS votes 1.4 trillion a year against what basic health access requires. We cannot have quality affordable care for 40% without a change in the designs. We cannot have most and best delivery team members, a requirement for the most complex populations, without a change in the designs.