In 2014, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) published a broad array of resources focused on improving health care access, quality, and cost-effectiveness for low-income Americans, especially those with complex health care needs. We invite you to look back at our top 10 most popular publications from the last 12 months and keep an eye out for new developments at www.chcs.org in 2015!

  1. Examining Children’s Behavioral Health Service Utilization and Expenditures  Children in Medicaid with behavioral health needs are often served by multiple public systems, which can lead to inappropriate care, poor health outcomes, and high costs. This national data analysis examines behavioral health service use and expense among children in Medicaid to help states identify opportunities to improve care for this high-need population.
  2. A State Policy Framework for Integrating Health and Social Services  Across the nation, there is growing recognition that social factors have a greater impact than medical care on health outcomes. As more states are rethinking traditional health care delivery with this in mind, this framework offers guidance around three key components for integrating health and social services.
  3. Intensive Care Coordination Using High-Quality Wraparound for Children with Serious Behavioral Health Needs: State and Community Profiles  Children and youth with serious behavioral health needs can benefit from more coordinated and individualized approaches to care. This resource highlights one of these approaches — intensive care coordination using wraparound — and outlines key features of wraparound programs across the U.S.
  4. Seizing the Opportunity: Early Medicaid Health Home Lessons  Medicaid health homes, made possible through the Affordable Care Act, provide states with a mechanism to support better care management for people with complex health needs. The experiences of early health home adopter states described in this brief can inform other states in developing health home programs.
  5. Medicaid Behavioral Health Care Use among Children in Foster Care  Nearly one in three children in the U.S. foster care system use behavioral health services. As detailed in this fact sheet, children in Medicaid who are in foster care disproportionately use behavioral health services compared with children enrolled in Medicaid in general.
  6. Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: Program Characteristics in Leading-Edge States  Accountable care organizations (ACOs) offer new avenues for states to advance integrated care delivery and address the role of social determinants in health for Medicaid beneficiaries. This matrix, which details key features of ACOs in seven states, can inform additional states in considering their own ACO approaches.
  7. Key Attributes of High-Performing Integrated Health Plans for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees  High-performing health plans are critical to the success of efforts to align Medicare and Medicaid services. While there is little consensus about what makes an integrated health plan high-performing, this brief provides a framework describing what elements are essential in health plans for dually eligible enrollees.
  8. Considerations for Integrating Behavioral Health Services within Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations  Coordinating behavioral health services within Medicaid ACOs may help states to improve quality of care and prevent unnecessary costs from avoidable emergency room and hospital visits. The considerations outlined in this brief can inform state efforts to integrate behavioral health services within ACOs.
  9. State Approaches to Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health Services for Medicare-Medicaid Beneficiaries: Early Insights  Behavioral health disorders are among the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries but misalignments between the two programs often result in fragmented, poor quality care. Read this brief to learn how four states are integrating behavioral health services for Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
  10. Contacting Hard-to-Locate Medicare and Medicaid Members: Tips for Health Plans  Health plans serving individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid must be able to locate members before beginning to meet their often significant health care and social service needs. This brief outlines tips for engaging individuals with complex needs who are often difficult to locate due to incorrect or missing contact information and unstable housing.
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