This presentation describes a process states may follow to evaluate the feasibility of using its assessment data — through the Minimum Data Set Home Care tool — to measure quality outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities who live in the community.
Our Work
Video
July 17, 2017
Amid a nationwide opioid addiction crisis, providers and payers must look well beyond simply containing costs and work closely with doctors who are prescribing these powerful pain medications.
Technical Report
July 14, 2017
Direct care workforce shortages, increasing health care costs, and limited access to services force many families to make life-changing decisions to care for family members with long term disabilities, or who are chronically ill at home. This technical report features an analysis of current Massachusetts state policies and programs for respite services.
Poster
July 06, 2017
This poster details the effects of Medicaid coverage expansion since the Affordable Care Act began the inclusion of childless adults below the poverty level.
Blog
June 29, 2017
Republican-led health reform has arisen once again and could very well pass after July 4. In STAT, our health policy analyst Rachel Gershon describes why the Senate health care bill would make the individual health insurance market
less equitable and affordable, causing approximately 22 million people to lose coverage.
Blog
June 26, 2017
One little-discussed aspect of a new GOP health-care bill would significantly change the way state Medicaid programs are funded and could erode coverage nationwide.
Health policy analyst Rachel Gershon discusses Medicaid per capita caps in Governing.
Technical Report
June 22, 2017
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides critical federal funding to the Massachusetts Medicaid program. On September 30, 2017 CHIP will expire without re-authorization from Congress. This would not only impact children's healthcare in Massachusetts, but have effects on broader health policy as well.
Technical Report
June 19, 2017
Researchers at UMass Medical School developed four community health worker models aligned with priorities of Connecticut’s State Innovation Model, a federally funded grant initiative to transform state health care systems. The models target high-need, high-cost patients – the populations for which CHW interventions are most likely to improve health outcomes and generate cost savings.
White Paper
June 02, 2017
Health plans are ramping up efforts to connect with their members, with the growth of member outreach and engagement filling a significant gap in today’s health care system. Read this issue brief to learn best practices that boost outreach and improve outcomes.
Journal Article
June 01, 2017
The US Bureau of of Labor Statistics projects a 26 percent increase in demand for in home care aides by 2024 - and with rising demand comes new need for proper medical education. This study presents case studies of six state-based training models for new home care aides and discusses the recruitment process, curriculum design and delivery methods of all six methods.
Blog
May 24, 2017
The House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4, providing the most comprehensive picture yet of what Republican health reform might look like. The Congressional Budget Office cost estimate was released May 24, noting that the bill would lead to 23 million uninsured by 2026 and cut $834 billion in federal support for Medicaid over 10 years. What should state policy makers know about potential effects of AHCA on their state?
Poster
May 12, 2017
Discover the innovative solutions implemented by the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island (CTC), an initiative managed by UMass Medical School, to address care coordination dilemmas.
Presentation
May 11, 2017
This presentation discusses different care delivery systems and alternative payment methods that can support community health worker (CHW) services, including approaches used by the Massachusetts Medicaid program, MassHealth.
Presentation
May 11, 2017
Learn about interventions that employ community health workers to improve health outcomes for select patient groups while containing costs. UMass staff constructed models to focus on specific health issues, such as diabetes and asthma, in particular regions in Maine.
Journal Article
May 01, 2017
In October of 2014, the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 was reformed - making the regulations around the prescription of hydrocodone combination products more strict. The research in this article was presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s in 2016, and investigates the effects of this change on claims for HCPs in the Medicaid population before and after October 2014.
White Paper
April 28, 2017
Research shows community health workers (CHW) positively effect both the health of patients and the financial outcomes of healthcare providers. This policy brief offers findings on the potential effects of CHW's in Connecticut.
Blog
April 27, 2017
We should reform or align 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA to better serve patients with substance use disorder, UMass Medical School pharmacists Kimberly Lenz and Tyson Thompson write in an opinion piece for Managed Healthcare Executive.
Blog
April 18, 2017
A new project that strives to connect college students with disabilities to employers will be piloted in Boston in an effort to increase the employment opportunities for these students. National Organization on Disability President Carol Glazer and Work Without Limits Director Kathleen A. Petkauskos wrote about the project for The Huffington Post.
Blog
March 29, 2017
How the Trump administration can use waivers to alter Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), reforming health care at the state level. Health policy analyst Rachel Gershon delves into Section 1332 and 1115 waivers for STAT news.
Poster
March 27, 2017
An analysis of the Massachusetts Medicaid Pediatric Behavioral Health Medication Initiative Workgroup suggests a peer-to-peer outreach program is associated with increased awareness and implementation of evidence based medicine in a pediatric population treated with behavioral health medications.
Poster
March 27, 2017
An evaluation of the effectiveness of HCV genotype 1 treatment with Harvoni® (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir) as measured by a sustained virological response (SVR) of 12 weeks in the MassHealth fee-for-service and Primary Care Clinician plan population.
