Advancing innovations in health care delivery for low-income Americans
Resource Center | Updated July 24, 2020
In the United States and across the globe, every sector of society is working to identify solutions that address challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Vulnerable populations — including individuals with low-incomes, older adults, people of color, and those with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs — are likely to be disproportionately impacted, either directly through illness or indirectly due to pressures on health, community, and economic systems.
To support our partners at the state, health plan, provider, and community levels, the Center for Health Care Strategies has compiled this compendium of resources aimed at lessening the impact of COVID-19 on Medicaid populations, particularly those at the highest risk. This library of key guidance, reference materials, and tools will grow and evolve over time. CHCS welcomes additional resource suggestions.
General Resources for States
Federal Guidance
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Toolkit (CMS)
- COVID-19 FAQs for State Medicaid and CHIP Agencies (CMS)
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Increased FMAP FAQs (CMS)
- COVID-19 Checklists and Tools to Accelerate Relief for State Medicaid & CHIP Programs (CMS)
- 1135 Waivers (CMS)
- Medicaid and CHIP Disaster Relief State Plan Amendment (CMS)
- COVID-19 1115 Waiver Demonstrations (CMS)
- Civil Rights, HIPAA, and COVID-19 (US DHHS, Office for Civil Rights, added 4/3) Outlines regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and religion in HHS-funded programs.
- CMS Waivers and COVID-19 Response (CMS, added 4/15)
- Fact Sheet for State and Local Governments: CMS Programs & Payment for Care in Hospital Alternate Care Sites (CMS, added 5/28)
- COVID-19 State and Local Response Tracker (Urban Institute, added 6/15)
Select State Resources
- State Data and Policy Actions to Address Coronavirus (Kaiser Family Foundation)
- Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions on COVID-19 (Kaiser Family Foundation)
- State-by-State Health Department COVID-19 Resources (Policy & Medicine)
- State Fiscal Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (NCSL)
- COVID-19 Resources for States (State Health & Value Strategies, added 4/3)
- COVID-19 Resource Center (NAMD, added 6/8)
Opportunities for Medicaid
- How Can Medicaid Enhance State Capacity to Respond to COVID-19? (Kaiser Family Foundation)
- Responding to COVID-19: State Strategies for Medicaid and Commercial Health Insurance Oversight (State Health & Value Strategies)
- State Medicaid and CHIP Strategies to Respond to the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis (State Health & Value Strategies)
- State Health Coverage Strategies for COVID-19 (Families USA)
- COVID-19: Simple Answers to Top Questions (ASTHO, added 4/3)
- Increasing Medicaid Payments to Providers During COVID-19 Crisis Toolkit (State Health & Value Strategies, added 4/15)
- Prioritizing Public Health Resources for COVID-19 Investigations: How Administrative Data Can Protect Vulnerable Populations (Health Affairs, added 5/5)
- State Actions to Facilitate Access to Medicaid and CHIP Coverage in Response to COVID-19 (Kaiser Family Foundation, added 7/24)
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General Resources for Health Care Professionals
Federal Guidance
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Toolkit, see Clinical/Technical and Billing/Coding (CMS)
- COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers (CMS, updated 4/15)
- COVID-19 Information for Healthcare Professionals (CDC)
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for Health Care Professionals (CDC)
- COVID-19 Resources Clinics and Health Care Facilities (CDC)
- Civil Rights, HIPAA, and COVID-19 (US DHHS, Office for Civil Rights, added 4/3) Outlines regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and religion in HHS-funded programs.
- Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19 (CMS, added 4/15)
- Re-opening Facilities to Provide Non-emergent Non-COVID-19 Healthcare (CMS, added 4/28)
Resources
- State-by-State Health Department COVID-19 Resources (Policy & Medicine)
- COVID-19 Response Resources (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
- COVID-19: Simple Answers to Top Questions (ASTHO)
- COVID-Ready Communication Skills to Address Difficult Topics (VitalTalk)
- COVID-19 Fact Sheets in 35 Languages (Health Literacy Project, added 4/15)
- Camden Coalition COVID-19 Resources (Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, added 4/15)
- Identifying Patients with Increased Risk of Severe Covid-19 Complications: Building an Actionable Rules-Based Model for Care Teams (NEJM Catalyst, added 5/14)
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Telehealth
Federal Guidance
- Medicaid Policy Options for Paying Providers for Services Delivered Via Telehealth (CMS)
- Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet (CMS)
- Guidance for Providers Using Telehealth to Communicate with Patients During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency (DHHS/Office for Civil Rights)
- Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth (CMS, added 4/3)
- Telehealth Remote Communications During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency (US HHS, added 4/15)
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund: General Information (HHS, added 7/24)
- CARES Act Provider Relief Fund: FAQs (HHS, added 7/24)
Resources
- General Provider Telehealth and Telemedicine Toolkit (CMS)
- Opportunities to Expand Telehealth Use Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic (Health Affairs)
- Expanding Telehealth and Technology as Part of the COVID-19 Response (Milbank Memorial Fund, added 4/15)
- Resources for Telehealth at Safety Net Settings (Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, added 4/20)
- State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit – COVID-19 Version (CMS, added 4/28)
- Addressing Equity in Telemedicine for Chronic Disease Management During the Covid-19 Pandemic (NEJM Catalyst, added 5/14)
- Changes in Medicaid Telehealth Policies Due to COVID-19: Catalog Overview and Findings (Mathematica, added 7/24)
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Long-Term Services and Supports
Federal Guidance
- Information Related to COVID-19 for All Medicare Advantage Organizations, Part D Sponsors, and Medicare-Medicaid Plans (CMS)
- Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning COVID-19 in Home Health Agencies (CMS)
- Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning COVID-19 by Hospice Agencies (CMS)
- Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes (CMS)
- Information for PACE Organizations Regarding Infection Control and Prevention of COVID-19 (CMS)
- Civil Rights, HIPAA, and COVID-19 (US DHHS, Office for Civil Rights, added 4/3) Outlines regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and religion in HHS-funded programs. See example of state response related to non-discrimination for COVID-19-related medical treatment for people with disabilities: California. See also resources under the “Health Equity” section below.
- COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Guidance (CMS, added 4/15)
- D-SNPs COVID-19 CY2021 State Medicaid Agency Contract Requirements (CMS, added 4/28)
- Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes (CMS, added 5/28)
Resources
- COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions for State Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Agencies (CMS) – See in particular, questions related to flexibilities for home- and community-based services, family caregivers, and home health and nursing facility providers.
- Preparing for COVID-19: Long-Term Care Facilities, Nursing Homes (CDC)
- Coronavirus and COVID-19 Information (Leading Age) – See in particular, provider and setting-specific resources: Adult Day/PACE/Senior Centers; Assisted Living Communities; Home Health; Hospice; Nursing Homes.
- Confronting Disability Discrimination During the Pandemic (Hastings Center, added 4/3)
- ElderCare Locator (Administration for Community Living)
- COVID-19: A Guide for Direct Care Workers (Care Academy, added 4/3)
- COVID-19: Tips for Dementia Caregivers (Alzheimer’s Association, added 4/15)
- Resources to Support Family Caregivers (ARCH National Respite Network, added 4/28)
- How North Carolina’s Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities System Is Responding to COVID-19 (Milbank Memorial Fund, added 5/14)
- COVID-19 State Resource Guide: Leveraging Federal and State Authorities to Ensure Access to Long-Term Services and Supports for High-Risk Individuals (Manatt, added 6/8)
- California’s Use of Federal and State Policy Flexibilities to Ensure Access to Long-Term Services and Supports During the COVID-19 Pandemic (The SCAN Foundation, added 7/24)
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Behavioral Health
Federal Guidance
- COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Response and 42 CFR Part 2 Guidance (SAMHSA)
- Opioid Treatment Program COVID-2019 Guidance (SAMHSA)
- Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth (CMS, added 4/3)
Resources
- Resources and Guidance Related to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders (SAMHSA)
- Behavioral Health Training Resources Related to COVID-19 (SAMHSA)
- During the COVID-19 Pandemic, States Need to Rethink their Delivery of Behavioral Health Services (National Health Law Program, added 4/15)
- Resources on COVID-19 and Serious Mental Illness (American Psychiatric Association and SAMHSA, added 4/28)
- COVID-19 Behavioral Health Resources (HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, added 4/28)
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Social Needs
Federal Guidance
- Interim Guidance for Homeless Service Providers to Respond to Coronavirus 2019 (CDC)
- Food and Nutrition Service Response to COVID-19 (US Department of Agriculture, added 4/3)
- Civil Rights, HIPAA, and COVID-19 (US DHHS, Office for Civil Rights, added 4/3) Outlines regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, and religion in HHS-funded programs.
Resources
- COVID-19 Related Eviction and Utility Policies Around the Nation (Eviction Lab, Princeton University)
- Public Health Awakened and The Spirit of 1848 COVID19 Resources (Public Health Awakened) Crowd-sourced database with tabs on issues including housing and homelessness; racism and xenophobia; social distancing; substance misuse; intimate partner violence; jails and prisons; and more.
- COVID-19 Intervention Actions: Supporting Individuals Experiencing Homelessness (ASTHO)
- Local Meals on Wheels Providers (Meals on Wheels America)
- Free or Reduced-Cost Programs for People Affected by COVID-19 (Aunt Bertha)
- Local 211 Services for the COVID-19 Pandemic (211.org)
- COVID-19 Fact Sheets in 35 Languages (Health Literacy Project, added 4/15)
- SIREN COVID-19 Resources (SIREN, University of California, San Francisco, added 5/5)
- COVID-19 Social Health Playbook (Kaiser Permanente, added 10/14)
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Health Equity
Federal Guidance
- Civil Rights, HIPAA, and COVID-19 (US DHHS, Office for Civil Rights, added 4/3) OSee examples of state and advocacy organization responses related to non-discrimination for COVID-19-related medical treatment for people with disabilities: California, Illinois, Massachusetts.
Resources
- Equity Implications of the Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak in the United States (NAACP, added 4/3)
- Health Justice Strategies to Combat COVID-19: Protecting Vulnerable Communities During A Pandemic (Health Affairs, added 4/3)
- Covid-19: The Painful Price of Ignoring Health Inequities (BMJ Opinion, added 4/3)
- Confronting Disability Discrimination During the Pandemic (Hastings Center, added 4/3)
- Applying HHS’ Guidance for States and Health Care Providers on Avoiding Disability-Based Discrimination in Treatment Rationing (Center for Public Representation, added 4/8)
- COVID-19 Medical Communication Access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (National Association for the Deaf, added 4/8)
- COVID-19 Triage and Disability: What NOT To Do (Bioethics.net, added 4/8)
- Communities of Color at Higher Risk for Health and Economic Challenges due to COVID-19 (Kaiser Family Foundation, added 4/15)
- COVID-19 Fact Sheets in 35 Languages (Health Literacy Project, added 4/15)
- COVID-19 Resources from the National Collaborative for Health Equity (added 4/15)
- Governor Whitmer Creates the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities (State of Michigan, added 4/15)
- Communities of Color at Higher Risk for Health and Economic Challenges due to COVID-19 (Kaiser Family Foundation, added 4/15)
- Fair Resource Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Ruderman Family Foundation, added 4/20)
- Awareness of Social Needs Can Help Address Health Inequity during COVID-19 (American Hospital Association, added 5/28)
- Health Equity Principles for State and Local Leaders in Responding to, Reopening, and Recovering from COVID-19 (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, added 7/24)
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Children and Youth
Federal Guidance for CHIP and Related Analysis
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Toolkit (CMS)
- COVID-19 FAQs for State Medicaid and CHIP Agencies (CMS)
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Increased FMAP FAQs (CMS)
- COVID-19 Checklists and Tools to Accelerate Relief for State Medicaid & CHIP Programs (CMS)
- 1135 Waivers (CMS)
- Medicaid and CHIP Disaster Relief State Plan Amendment (CMS)
- COVID-19 1115 Waiver Demonstrations (CMS)
- Food and Nutrition Service Response to COVID-19 (US Department of Agriculture)
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Medicaid and CHIP Provisions Explained (Georgetown University Health Policy Institute)
- State Medicaid and CHIP Strategies to Respond to the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis (State Health & Value Strategies)
Supporting Children and Families
- Children and Families COVID-19 Resource Center (Georgetown University Health Policy institute)
- Supporting Children’s Emotional Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Child Trends)
- Stress, Resilience, and the Role of Science: Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
- Talking with Children about Coronavirus Disease 2019: Messages for Parents, School Staff, and Others Working with Children (CDC)
- COVID-19 Fact Sheet for Grandfamilies and Multigenerational Families (Generations United)
- Young Children at Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care (ZERO TO THREE)
- Supporting Children’s Health During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic (NICHQ, added 4/15)
- Well Visit Planner (Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, added 5/14)
Addressing Social Service Needs
- Coronavirus: What Child Welfare Systems Need to Think About (The Chronicle of Social Change)
- Supporting Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness during the COVID-19 Outbreak (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness)
- School-Based Health Centers Can Deliver Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Child Trends)
- COVID-19 State and Local Response Tracker (Urban Institute, added 6/15)