The Hilltop Institute at UMBC has been awarded research funding for three new projects, the findings of which will inform both national and state health policy.
State Medicaid Fees for Services Related to Opioid Use Disorder: Building the Evidence-Base to Inform State Policies
Funded by Arnold Ventures and led by the Urban Institute, Hilltop is participating with university researchers from other states on a project that seeks to bring transparency to the distribution of Medicaid reimbursement rates for common services used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). The research team is building a database and state billing code crosswalk for the most frequently utilized OUD services across all state Medicaid programs. The research team is also creating a Medicaid state fee index for each state, as well as an index comparing Medicaid to Medicare reimbursement rates. The goal of the project is to understand cross-state variation in OUD reimbursement rates and establish benchmarks for states to make informed decisions.
Hilltop Policy Analyst Katie Holmes, MPS, MPH, is leading Hilltop’s research.
Healthcare Utilization of Violence-Related Injury in the State of Maryland
In partnership with clinicians at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Hilltop researchers are working on the development of a computer model that will calculate an individual’s risk of receiving a repeat violent injury. The researchers are creating a statewide cohort of victims of violence and following them as they seek ongoing care for their injuries to better understand which patient subgroups utilize the greatest health care resources and would most benefit from violence prevention efforts. In subsequent work, the team plans to use these results to develop a comprehensive hospital discharge protocol that ensures victims of violence receive the support they need.
Hilltop Chief Data Scientist Ian Stockwell, PhD, MA, is leading the research.
Estimating the Costs to Mississippi Medicaid for Expansion to Childless Adults
Under a contract with the Center for Mississippi Health Policy, Hilltop is conducting a study to estimate the economic impact of expanding Mississippi Medicaid coverage to childless adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). Hilltop is conducting an environmental scan that includes a literature review, data collection on Mississippi’s Medicaid program and economy, and interviews with Mississippi stakeholders and other states in an effort to understand the benefits and challenges of Medicaid expansion. Next, Hilltop will conduct an economic impact analysis of Medicaid expansion on Mississippi providers, the state’s Medicaid program, and the state’s economy. Findings will be shared to inform ongoing policy discussions as Mississippi continues to debate expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Hilltop Chief Data Scientist Ian Stockwell, PhD, MA, is leading the research with Charles Betley, MA, and Morgan Henderson, PhD.
Visit us at hilltopinstitute.org to learn more about our work.
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