|
Initiatives
will ensure children in Oregon have continuous Medicaid coverage until
the age of six, and expand access to coverage and address nutrition and housing needs in
Massachusetts and Oregon
Approvals
of the initiatives come during the White House Conference on Hunger,
Nutrition, and Health, taking direct action on the Biden-Harris
Administration’s National Strategy to end hunger, reduce diet-related
diseases, and eliminate health inequities
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), approved
groundbreaking Medicaid section 1115 demonstration initiatives in
Massachusetts and Oregon. Both demonstrations aim to test improvements in
coverage, access, and quality with innovative approaches to ensure more
eligible people retain their Medicaid coverage, including by approving
Oregon’s demonstration to keep children enrolled in Medicaid up to age
six — preventing gaps in coverage that can cause children to lose access
to needed care in their formative early years.
The initiatives also take steps to address unmet
health-related social needs, such as by giving Massachusetts and Oregon
new authority to test coverage for evidenced-based nutritional assistance
and medically tailored meals, clinically-tailored housing supports, and
other interventions for certain beneficiaries where there is a clinical
need. These efforts coincide with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health,
where the Biden-Harris Administration released its national strategy to
end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and reduce
diet-related diseases and disparities – all goals supported by the
initiatives approved today.
“This is an historic moment in our nation’s fight to end
hunger and improve health equity, particularly in states like Oregon and
Massachusetts,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Groundbreaking action
in each state will ensure children and youth remain connected to health
care, and that we double down on tackling social needs impacting health,
such as nutrition. Everyone should get the access to care they need to
live safe and healthy lives.”
“I’m proud to partner with Oregon and Massachusetts to
improve quality and access, reduce health disparities, and improve health
equity, for those who need it most. For the first time ever, children
with Medicaid coverage in Oregon will be able to keep their coverage
until the age of 6 — ensuring they can get the care they need during
their formative years. This is just one aspect of the groundbreaking
demonstration initiatives that I’m approving today,” said CMS
Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “These states are also partnering with
community-based providers to address the root social causes of health
concerns, like lack of access to nutritious food and housing insecurity.
We applaud Massachusetts and Oregon for helping us use every tool
available to protect and expand access to high-quality, comprehensive,
affordable health care coverage.”
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, thanks to the
American Rescue Plan and other Administration efforts, more Americans
than ever before have health insurance coverage. Today’s approvals will build
on these efforts and support President Biden’s executive orders in April
2022 and January 2021 directing federal agencies to take action to expand
affordable, quality health coverage, including by strengthening Medicaid
and the Affordable Care Act.
Both demonstrations approved today will work to improve
enrollment and continuity of coverage. In Oregon, children determined
eligible for Medicaid will be able to stay continuously enrolled until
they turn six years old, without their families needing to renew their
coverage. This will minimize red tape for both families and the state,
and help to ensure access to care throughout this critical period of
early childhood. Individuals older than six will be able to keep their
coverage for up to two years, even if their household income fluctuates.
Massachusetts will provide up to 12 months of continuous coverage for
Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries
upon release from correctional settings and 24-months of continuous
eligibility for beneficiaries with a confirmed status of chronic
homelessness, eliminating gaps in coverage for these vulnerable
populations.
Evidence indicates that health-related social needs, such as
food insecurity and housing instability, are critical drivers of an
individual’s health outcomes. With this demonstration, Massachusetts will
receive expanded authority to provide certain time-limited housing
supports, clinical nutrition education, and medically-tailored food
assistance services when medically appropriate. These services will be
available to a range of at-risk populations, including postpartum
individuals for up to 12 months. Massachusetts will also provide
additional meal support for certain households when an eligible
beneficiary is a child or pregnant woman with special clinical needs.
Oregon will expand health-related social needs coverage for certain food
assistance, housing supports, and other interventions that are medically
appropriate for individuals experiencing certain life transitions, including
individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In both states,
the time-limited housing and nutritional support services provided in the
demonstration can be expected to stabilize the housing and nutritional
circumstances of these Medicaid enrollees and thus ensure that they will
keep receiving and benefiting from the Medicaid-covered services to which
they are entitled.
Massachusetts will also be implementing an innovative
Hospital Quality and Equity Initiative for private acute hospitals and
the Commonwealth’s only non-state-owned public hospital, Cambridge Health
Alliance. The initiative is expected to reduce health inequities by
improving outcomes in populations that are likely to face barriers to
quality health care. As such, the demonstration is likely to help improve
the quality of care and is also likely to reduce health disparities
through this value-based care approach.
CMS will require both states to systematically monitor the
demonstrations and conduct rigorous independent evaluations to determine
the outcomes and impacts.
For additional information about the Massachusetts’
MassHealth Section 1115 Demonstration, please visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/82006.
For additional information about the Oregon Health Plan
Section 1115 Demonstration, please visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/82956.
Get CMS news at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter @CMSgov
|
No comments:
Post a Comment