Bulletin Board
Bulletin Board
Behavioral Health Services in Medicaid Expansion States
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has performed a limited study of the utilization of Medicaid behavioral health services in Medicaid expansion states. The study, based on data from New York, Washington, Iowa, and West Virginia, found that the two most heavily utilized behavioral health services were diagnostic and psychotherapy services and that more than two-thirds of behavioral health patients were prescribed anti-depressants. More people sought help for mental health challenges that for substance abuse problems. Medicaid officials in the selected states concluded that enrollment in Medicaid enhanced access to behavioral [...]
Ways and Means Seeks to Cut Medicare Red Tape
The House Ways and Means Committee’s Health Subcommittee has launched a new initiative to attempt to improve the delivery of Medicare services and eliminate statutory and regulatory obstacles to more effective care delivery. The subcommittee describes its “Medicare Red Tape Relief Project” as …a new initiative to deliver relief from the regulations and mandates that impede innovation, drive up costs, and ultimately stand in the way of delivering better care for Medicare beneficiaries. In support of this initiative, the committee has announced a three-part approach in which it will seek [...]
Study Finds Communication Woes That Pose Risks for the Elderly
Inadequate communication between doctors and home health providers unnecessarily puts elderly patients at risk, a new study has found. At the heart of this problem are lack of access to physician information for home health workers, challenges home providers face when seeking to order new services, lack of accountability among physicians, and poor transitions between hospitalists and patients’ primary care doctors. Learn more about these challenges and ways to address them in the study “’Connecting the Dots’: A Qualitative Study of Home Health Nurse Perspectives on Coordinating Care for Recently [...]
GAO Looks at Use of Telehealth in Medicare, Medicaid
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has examined the use of telehealth services in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. In a study that looked at current Medicare practices, sampled Medicaid practices in six states, and consulted selected provider, payment, and patient associations, the GAO evaluated the extent to which telehealth is used in Medicare and Medicaid today, factors that affect the use of telehealth in Medicare, and the degree to which new payment and delivery models might affect future telehealth utilization in Medicare. The report does not offer recommendations. The GAO [...]
CMS to Consider Model Behavioral Health Payment and Delivery Program
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation has invited interested parties to weigh in on the possibility of creating a new Medicare model program for behavioral health care delivery and payment. According to a notice published in the Federal Register, The Innovation Center is interested in designing a potential payment or service delivery model to improve health care quality and access, while lowering the cost of care for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP beneficiaries with behavioral health conditions. The model may include participation by other payers, qualify as an Advanced Alternative [...]