Health Homes are intended to improve health outcomes for individuals with chronic conditions by providing patients with an enhanced level of care management and care coordination. The goal of this report is to provide a description of Medicaid enrollees’ participation in the Maryland Health Home program and their interactions with the health care system during the first year of program implementation.
During the 2013 Legislative Session, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 228 (Chapter 159, Acts of 2013), entitled the Maryland Health Progress Act of 2013. Section 6 of Chapter 159 requires the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) and the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) to conduct a joint study of the impact of the Affordable Care Act’s allowance of a tobacco use rating of 1.5 to 1, including (1) its effect on insurance premiums generally; (2) its effect on the affordability and purchase of insurance, and access to health care, for tobacco users; and (3) any disparate impact on specific vulnerable populations. The study must further assess the options that may be available to the state to address any adverse consequences of tobacco use rating.
Hilltop worked with the MHBE and the MIA to conduct this legislatively mandated study. This report contains the findings of the study and concludes with options for further legislative action.
This is the first chart book in a series of two that explores service utilization and expenditures for Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports in Maryland. This volume explores service utilization and expenditures for Maryland Medicaid’s Living at Home Waiver, Older Adults Waiver, and Medical Day Care Waiver, as well as Maryland State Plan personal care services and Medicaid nursing facility utilization and expenditures in state fiscal years (FYs) 2009 through 2012. Hilltop updates the chart books annually.
HealthChoice—Maryland’s statewide mandatory Medicaid managed care program—was implemented in 1997 under authority of Section 1115 of the Social Security Act. Since the inception of HealthChoice, the Maryland Department of Health has conducted five comprehensive evaluations of the program as part of the 1115 waiver renewals. Between waiver renewals, the Department completes an annual evaluation for HealthChoice stakeholders. This report is the 2012 annual evaluation of the HealthChoice program.
The incidence of mental health disorders co-occurring with chronic somatic health conditions is gaining attention. This combination can pose significant burdens to health care system resources to provide for complex care needs. Using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chronic Condition Data Warehouse, Hilltop explored the prevalence of co-occurring mental health disorders amongst Maryland’s new dual eligible enrollees during 2008 and their subsequent Medicare and Medicaid resource use. This report presents Hilltop’s findings, which establish the scope of the prevalence of mental health conditions among new dual eligible enrollees in Maryland and highlight the need for greater attention and research into this population.
Hilltop staff made several presentations at the 2014 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) held June 8 through June 10 in San Diego. Senior Policy Analyst Laura A. Spicer, MA, presented this poster, which summarizes a study to evaluate options for continuity of care provisions to assist beneficiaries who transition between Medicaid and Exchange eligibility.
Hilltop staff made several presentations at the 2014 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) held June 8 through June 10 in San Diego. Director of Medicaid Policy Studies David A. Idala, MA, delivered this presentation in a session titled What Can We Learn from Patients with High Costs and High Utilization?
Hilltop staff made several presentations at the 2014 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) held June 8 through June 10 in San Diego. Hilltop Deputy Director Michael A. Nolin, MA, presented this poster at the State Health Policy Interest Group meeting.
Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, there has been consistent federal guidance employing and clarifying its provisions. Hilltop develops regulation summaries to assist state and local policymakers in their implementation of health reform.
On March 10, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a final rule on Information Reporting of Minimum Essential Coverage. This document provides a high-level summary of this rule and highlights key changes to the regulations since the issue of the proposed rule.
This is the second chart book in a series of two that explores service utilization and expenditures for Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports in Maryland. This chart book provides information about Maryland Medicaid participants who received services through the Autism Waiver in state fiscal years (FYs) 2009 through 2012. Hilltop updates the chart books annually.