Interesting model for those in the #SUD/health fields: sobering centers can help mitigate the costs associated with drug use/intoxication, track people into long-term treatment, and conserve resources for ERs and law enforcement. Learn more on this call 12/4.

In addition to Medicare, state #Medicaid agencies will soon have the ability to offer GLP-1 drugs for obesity at $245 a mo/dose. Will be interesting to see how this lands with the states, given the many tough decisions they're currently navigating. www.axios.com/2025/11/06/m...

States are expanding their Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs) to elevate Medicaid member voices. Evaluating these efforts helps ensure BACs are effective and responsive to member needs. bit.ly/3Lfhr01

"Our findings suggest a protective effect of Medicaid expansion on early-stage cancer diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency..." academic.oup.com/jnci/advance...

Webinar 10/22: Learn from Maine and North Dakota about their approaches to designing and recruiting #Medicaid members for their Beneficiary Advisory Councils. bit.ly/3KeW8Lk

The nexus of #Medicaid funded care, #MOUD, and #reentry is a huge opportunity to save lives and improve criminal justice outcomes at the same time. That, and other important strategies highlighted here. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

#Medicaid covers ~15 million people with disabilities, yet many disabled people still face persistent barriers to accessing the health care they need. This blog post highlights 3 opportunities for state action. bit.ly/4mPEL1b

Tomorrow, 2 - 3:15pm ET, CHCS will host three behavioral health care experts to explore state policy solutions — training and education, flexible licensing, reduced admin burden — to grow and retain the #Medicaid behavioral health care workforce. bit.ly/4gd70VY

States are quickly putting together their applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program this month. We're putting together a number of #Medicaid strategies they can use to expand access, build and bolster their workforces, and ensure long-term sustainability. #RuralHealth

New, stricter federal work requirements are coming to #Medicaid and #SNAP. This brief shares strategies for coordinating implementation across the programs to help ensure benefit continuity & reduce administrative burden. bit.ly/4mO73JE

Join us next Tuesday for an important conversation on state #Medicaid strategies on growing (and deepening, and retaining!) the behavioral health workforce. #MentalHealth #SUD

💡Working to improve #Medicaid? Visit CHCS’ new Evidence-to-Action Hub. The evidence, tools, and policy insights to turn evidence into impact. 👉 bit.ly/4ps8z6I

Join CHCS 10/22 for a conversation with state #Medicaid staff, Medicaid members + community organizations on the design and potential for new Beneficiary Advisory Councils to incorporate member voice into program and policymaking. bit.ly/3KeW8Lk

New piece outlining key cross-agency connections #Medicaid agencies can make to comply with federal work requirements policy and avoid member coverage loss.

Important conversation coming up next month on #Medicaid and the behavioral health care #workforce. Join us!

School-based health centers offer a valuable opportunity to meet kids where they are. Most offer both primary and behavioral health care, and state #Medicaid agencies can play a big role in helping connect and coordinate school systems, providers, and community orgs.

Super interesting. Much critical ink has been spilled about inflation in mental health diagnosis, the risk of patients overidentifying with diagnosis, etc. This is an interesting, countervailing take: simply equipping someone with the lang. to describe their experience has a therapeutic effect.

Congrats to our latest Medicaid Leadership Institute class. These #Medicaid leaders will work together, trade strategies, build knowledge, and strengthen their skills to serve their communities in the years ahead.

CMS' newly required BACs have their work cut out for them! With so many changes coming to #Medicaid in the coming months and years, it's crucial to listen to (and implement) the experience and advice of the people receiving care.

As the school year approaches, it's even more important for #Medicaid and school systems to collaborate to deliver effective preventative care to kids. The EPSDT benefit is among Medicaid's most comprehensive. We gathered five strategies to maximize Medicaid-school collaboration for child health.

States face a complex task ahead in implementing new federal #Medicaid work requirements. This new CHCS Policy Cheat Sheet offers a big picture summary of timelines, impacted populations, exemption categories, and more. www.chcs.org/resource/a-s...

For the "good-things-can-still-happen" file: new bipartisan housing bill features home repair provision with Philly origins. 👍🏠

New twist in the ongoing will they/won't they saga for Medicaid/Medicare and GLP-1s. www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Tomorrow! 2-3 PM ET: Join three CHCSers for an important conversation hosted by @annieecaseyfdn.bsky.social on #Medicaid's growing role in the juvenile justice system. www.aecf.org/blog/what-yo...

As the ADA marks its 35th anniversary this Saturday, explore how disability-competent primary care and #Medicaid payment levers can help reduce disparities and improve primary care for people with disabilities. #ADA35

CMS just put out a press release asserting it will no longer support waiver demonstrations for multi-year continuous eligibility — it doesn't seem to be terminating active demos, but they won't extended and new ones won't be approved. These policies have mostly been designed to benefit kids.

⏰ Tomorrow: join CHCS and three #Medicaid leaders from across the country to hear how their states are confronting behavioral health challenges + improving mental health/SUD care access and quality. www.chcs.org/resource/med...

Join CHCS and #Medicaid leaders from across the country next Tuesday for an important panel discussion on behavioral health, Medicaid, and strategies for greater access and better outcomes in #MentalHealth and #SUD care.

NEW RURAL BRIEF @kff.org : Senate reconciliation bill would cut federal Medicaid funding in rural areas by $155B—$36B more than the House bill. www.kff.org/policy-watch...

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS | Inviting senior #Medicaid leaders to apply for the 2026 class of the Medicaid Pathways Program, a professional development program designed to strengthen leadership skills and drive program innovation. bit.ly/3GcfXBo @rwjf.bsky.social

Important convo next month with state agency leaders from across the country. We'll explore #Medicaid's critical role in improving behavioral health, and Medicaid-based innovation in mental health and #SUD care. Join us 7/15!

ICYMI | Harm reduction is a proven public health strategy to prevent #SUD-related overdoses. This CHCS and @vitalstrategies.org#SUD-relatedexpert panel explored the role of harm reduction in health care settings serving #Medicaid members. Replay the webinar:

Wide-ranging experience is essential to building teams with the agility to manage multi-billion-dollar #Medicaid programs. This episode features leaders who bring unique backgrounds to their executive roles in Medicaid. bit.ly/4mWiuAl @rwjf.bsky.social

RFA: seeking state #Medicaid and behavioral health agencies to apply for TA + peer learning opportunity. This learning collab will bring together states + experts/people with direct lived experience with the BH system to improve #SUD and #MentalHealth services for Medicaid members. Apps due 7/18.

Join us today at 2 (ET) for an important conversation on #SUD, #Medicaid, and harm reduction approaches to overdose prevention.

#Medicaid officials are often in the planning room during natural disasters/states of emergency to make sure members get the care they need. Great piece on how #NC Medicaid's chief medical officer helped members access care before, during, and after Hurricane Helene in 2024.

Medicaid = a unique partnership between federal and state agencies that is critical to supporting health care access for 80M people nationwide. This episode offers perspectives from two leaders who have worked in both federal & state agencies: bit.ly/4dt1jlz @rwjf.bsky.social

I have been logged out of my toothbrush.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS | Inviting #Medicaid directors to apply for the 2026 Class of the Medicaid Leadership Institute, an executive training program designed to strengthen leadership skills and drive program innovation. bit.ly/34hxx0o @rwjf.bsky.social

States: Apply by Friday to join CMMP State Technical Assistance Cohort! Get expert support to improve maternal/child health w/ #Medicaid, CHIP, Title V collaboration. Led by Altarum, @chcshealth.bsky.social, @familyvoices.bsky.social + Assoc. of Maternal & Child Health Programs. t.co/kux9pg8Flc

New working paper on Medicaid, based on Medicaid expansions, finds: *Medicaid reduced mortality hazard for new enrollees by 21% *expansions were cost-effective *lack of health insurance explains about 5-20% of the mortality disparity between high- & low-income Americans www.nber.org/papers/w33719

Pharmacists are obviously critical to our healthcare system, but they're a bit underrated as an effective partner and intervention for people with complex health/social needs, including #Medicaid members. Check out this roundup of evidence for more. bettercareplaybook.org/_blog/2025/1...

Harm reduction is a proven public health strategy to prevent #SUD-related overdoses. Join CHCS and @vitalstrategies.org#SUD-relatedon June 11 for an expert panel exploring the role of harm reduction in health care settings serving #Medicaid members.

Wheelchairs enable mobility for disabled people. But an outdated Medicare policy means the program only covers one if an enrollee proves they need it to brush their teeth, dress, or eat at home. This blog post offers fixes to eliminate this access barrier.

Largest study to date (n=37M!) on #Medicaid expansion shows that Medicaid enrollment "reduced the mortality of the low-income adult population by 2.5 percent, suggesting a 21 percent reduction in the mortality hazard of new enrollees." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/h...

This fact gets lost amid so many competing conversations and crises, but very important reminder that #Medicaid is the single largest payer of #MentalHealth and #SUD services in the country.

New case studies explore implementation strategies & early lessons from #Medicaid #primarycare population-based payment programs in Colorado & Massachusetts. bit.ly/44LlOr6 @commonwealthfn.bsky.social @arnoldventures.bsky.social @hcpf.bsky.social

States increasingly recognize the value of engaging people with lived experience in policy & program design. But what does meaningful engagement look like in practice? A new @chcshealth.bsky.social guide for states explores this question:

Has your state implemented Medicaid bundled payments or episodes of care for perinatal services? Share how your state is using these payment models for pregnancy & postpartum care. Complete this survey from USC Rural Health Research Center by 5pm on Fri. 5/9 👇

In response to California’s homelessness crisis — 181K+ people on any given night — this brief shares lessons from eight cross-sector teams on integrating health and housing services to improve outcomes for this population. @chcfnews.bsky.social