Recent Releases and Announcements
1115 Community Engagement Initiative
Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new policy designed to assist states in their efforts to improve Medicaid enrollee health and well-being through incentivizing community engagement among non-elderly, non-pregnant adult Medicaid beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicaid on a basis other than disability.
We want to hear from you: Medicaid.gov Partner Workgroup
The CMCS Medicaid.gov team invites you to participate in an ongoing forum for states and other partners to provide feedback on key changes, updates, and content and functionality enhancements to Medicaid.gov. States and other partners are a key target audience of Medicaid.gov, and your participation will help us make the site better meet your needs.
- How can I sign up
- Email Ashley.Lewis1@cms.hhs.gov
- The next scheduled workgroup meeting is January 25, so get in touch with Ashley before then.
- What’s involved?
- Standing quarterly webinar meetings
- Email or offline communication between meetings as needed
- What kind of feedback or participation is helpful?
- Feedback on recent changes – as new information is published, the Medicaid.gov team may ask for your opinion about the usefulness and relevance of the information.
- Feedback on future changes – as the Medicaid.gov team considers new content or functionality, we may ask for your opinion about the usefulness of the changes or functionality.
- Usability testing – the Medicaid.gov team may ask for your help understanding how the site is used by asking you to complete certain tasks on the site and providing feedback.
- Will this be a forum to discuss policy questions or issues?
- No, this group is limited exclusively to the design and maintenance of the website. While we’d love to hear from you about content you feel is missing or irrelevant, this is not a forum to discuss or answer questions about the substance of CMS, Medicaid, CHIP, or BHP policy.
- If policy questions arise, the Medicaid.gov team will help direct you to the appropriate resource.
- How will this help me?
- If you use Medicaid.gov, your feedback will help make it a better site and easier to use.
- You’ll get to preview new functionality and tell us what you think.
- Your perspective is important to us. You may have thoughts or feedback we haven’t considered. Feedback from this forum has already substantively impacted content and functionality of Medicaid.gov.
- If you work on your organization’s website, this is a good chance to collaborate, learn how we manage Medicaid.gov, and identify ways for our sites to work better together.
Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program
Register Now: Medicaid IAP National Learning Webinar (January 25, 2018)
Working with Unique Beneficiary Identifications in Medicaid Data
To assist Medicaid and CHIP agencies with their data analytic needs, the CMS Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) will host a national learning webinar on Thursday, January 25, 2018 from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm ET about strategies for working with unique beneficiary identifications (IDs) in Medicaid. During this webinar, state Medicaid agencies and other interested stakeholders will learn about approaches to common challenges associated with IDs, such as duplication, beneficiaries moving across states, mothers and newborns sharing the same ID, and administrative errors.
Presenters will share different perspectives on addressing issues associated with beneficiary IDs. Bruce Greenstein, Chief Technology Officer from the Department of Health and Human Services, will share best practices applied within a state environment. Additionally, states will learn about deduplication, probabilistic and deterministic matching, as well as linking beneficiary data to the National Death Index.
Register Now: Medicaid IAP Information Session (January 29, 2018)
New Technical Support Opportunities for States: Reducing Substance Use Disorders
The CMS Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program’s (IAP) Reducing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program area is launching new technical support opportunities for state Medicaid agencies. All interested states are encouraged to attend the information session on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET to learn more.
During this information session, states will learn about collaborative learning and individualized technical support opportunities offered through the Medicaid IAP SUD program area, including an Opioid Data Analytics Cohort. Webinar participants will also learn about additional opportunities available to states, such as a Data Dashboards Flash Track, Rapid Response on Best Practices, Medication-Assisted Treatment Model/Payment Design, and 1115 SUD Strategic Design Support.
Register Now: Medicaid IAP National Learning Webinar (January 31, 2018)
Determining Performance Benchmarks for a Medicaid Value-Based Payment Program
On Wednesday, January 31, 2018 from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ET, the CMS Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) is holding a national webinar for state Medicaid agencies and other interested stakeholders to learn about various benchmarking methods and considerations for setting performance benchmarks in a Medicaid value-based payment program. The webinar will also include presentations and insights by state Medicaid officials from Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations Pay-For-Performance Program and Vermont’s Medicaid Shared Savings Program.
Register Now: Medicaid IAP National Learning Webinar (February 6, 2018)
Medicaid Strategies for Promoting Provider Capacity for Physical and Mental Health Integration
To assist Medicaid and CHIP agencies, CMS’s Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) Physical and Mental Health Integration program area is hosting a national learning webinar on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ET about Medicaid strategies for promoting provider capacity for physical and mental health integration.
Webinar participants will hear from Dr. Ben Miller, a national expert in the field, who will provide an overview of key components for providers to increase physical and mental health integration capacity. This webinar will also feature speakers from Medicaid agencies in Hawaii and New Hampshire, who will share physical and mental health integration provider capacity strategies and lessons learned.
Register Now: Medicaid IAP Information Session (February 8, 2018)
New Opportunity for States: Data Analytic Technical Support for State Medicaid Agencies
CMS’s Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) Data Analytics functional area is launching a new technical support opportunity for state Medicaid agencies to assist in building their data analytic capacity as they design and implement delivery system reforms. All interested states are encouraged to attend the information session on Thursday, February 8, 2018 from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET to learn more.
During this information session, states will hear about the technical support opportunity, have an opportunity to ask questions, and learn about the state selection process. Webinar participants will also learn about the types of technical support that IAP has provided to states interested in building their data analytic capacity, such as developing an analytic plan, designing an approach to integrate non-Medicare datasets, interpreting statistical output, or developing statistical programs to analyze and monitor their Medicaid programs.
Upcoming Calls and Webinars
Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Questions & Answers Session
In follow-up to a recent two-part EVV training series (slides available here), CMS is hosting this Q&A session to give states the opportunity to ask questions regarding EVV requirements delineated in section 12006 of the 21st Century CURES Act. States are invited to ask questions about EVV system requirements, penalties for non-compliance, available federal support, implementation strategies, and other topics related to EVV and the CURES Act. Ralph Lollar, Director of the Division of Long Term Services & Supports (DLTSS), Kenya Cantwell, Technical Director with the Division of Benefits and Coverage, and David Meacham, Associate Regional Administrator for Seattle on behalf of the Consortium for Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations will be facilitating the session with support from Lewis & Ellis and Navigant Consulting.
Friday, January 26 2018 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET
Audio option #1: 1-844-396-8222 Participant Code: 909 535 223
Audio option #2 and Webinar