« The Dual Agenda: December 3, 2015 Issue

Featured Resources

Community Catalyst Resource on State Innovation Models

Community Catalyst has produced a summary and analysis of the first round of State Innovation Model test grants, which are funded by The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). The summary is intended to help state and local advocates and consumers identify opportunities to bring a consumer voice to the planning of these major projects and impact how they are implemented. This resource provides a brief description of each state plan; the themes of different plans; and a summary of initiatives that are common across multiple states.

Dementia Care Workforce and Practices in Duals Demonstration States

The University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care released a report that reviews and analyzes care coordinator policies and practices within health plans participating in the demonstration projects for dually eligible beneficiaries in seven states. The review of documents revealed that most state contracts had some language specifying care coordination workforce and practice requirements in their demonstrations. The report concludes that the extent to which care coordinator requirements and practices were defined in the duals demonstrations is related to several factors: 1) workforce availability and qualifications; 2) existing state policies concerning Medicaid waivers, Medicare Advantage Programs, and Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS); and 3) the stakeholder process and strength of advocacy movements surrounding the creation of the duals demonstrations in the state. A few promising practices were also highlighted in the report: (1) Building on existing resources; (2) Caregiver Identification, Assessment, and Supports and Services (3) Dementia-capable Care Coordination Training (4) Facilitators and Challenges to Replicating Promising Practices.

Toolkit on Health Coverage and Justice-Involved Individuals

The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) released a toolkit which highlights the efforts of selected states to enroll individuals involved with the criminal justice system. This resource is designed to provide state officials with actionable information about policies and practices available to connect justice-involved individuals to health care coverage through Medicaid.