Increasing access to integrated models of primary and behavioral health care in rural and urban areas of Michigan
Nationally, mental health needs increased over the last several years, exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency that began in March 2020. A 2021 survey found that “…31.6 percent of adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder, up from 11.0 percent in 2019.” Primary care and BH providers offer a range of services …
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Telehealth for people with disabilities: here are the challenges and opportunities policymakers should consider
Telehealth was a lifeline for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal and state policy changes allowed clinics, health systems, and providers to expand telehealth services, which benefitted people with disabilities. People with disabilities, approximately one in every four Americans, are six times more likely to have ten or more physician visits and five times more likely to be admitted …
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Clear language and human-centered design can help Medicaid enrollees keep their coverage
Michigan’s expanded Medicaid program, the Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP), has provided health insurance coverage to hundreds of thousands of Michiganders since its launch in April 2014. However, in 2019, the state passed a work requirements bill, which introduced more steps needed to retain HMP coverage. The bill asked HMP enrollees to report a minimum of 80 hours of work per …
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Family caregiver support: learn about policy and programmatic solutions developed by state and federal agencies
More than 43 million U.S. adults, 13 percent of Americans, provide unpaid care to family members or friends. These family caregivers administer medical care, run errands, provide transportation, manage finances, and help with household chores, among other activities. Family caregivers, despite the lack of reimbursement for their efforts, are a significant component of the nation’s long-term care system. In fact, …
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The advantages of becoming a federally Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC)–for organizations, communities
The federal application process to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) in Michigan opened on December 29, 2020 and closed on March 1, 2021. Becoming a CCBHC offers many advantages to organizations and the communities they serve. The bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health Act of 2009, which was introduced by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI), increased federal and financial …
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Rate analysis: 2021 ACA Health Insurance Marketplace for Michigan
In 2021, monthly ACA health insurance rates for Michigan’s lowest cost plans on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace decreased, on average. These decreases occurred despite the many uncertainties associated with the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). 2021 ACA Health Insurance Marketplace plan options are robust for communities across Michigan. In many counties, rates have declined considerably. These 2021 Marketplace changes …
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Designing integrated behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees, background and case studies
A growing number of states are implementing new strategies to better integrate health services and provide holistic care–particularly for Medicaid beneficiaries–with the ultimate goals of improving care coordination and patient outcomes and, in some cases, lowering health care expenses as well. For decades, physical and behavioral health care–including both mental health and substance use disorder treatment–have operated in silos. Too …
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Reflections on the ACA at 10: Marianne Udow-Phillips presents “the longview” in Findings magazine
In The Longview: Reflections on the ACA at 10, CHRT Founding Executive Director Marianne Udow-Phillips takes a retrospective look at the success of the ACA at 10 years old – noting the ACA’s clear accomplishments and pointing out how the ACA has fundamentally altered the way health care is viewed and discussed in the US. “The topline ACA statistics are …
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Protecting individuals with SMI from COVID-19: Best practices for community mental health agencies and clinics
For individuals with a serious mental illness (SMI)—a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that interferes with or limits major life activities—the COVID-19 pandemic may present a particular threat. Community mental health agencies and clinics need to be prepared to protect their clients with SMIs from COVID-19 by understanding and following best practices for this unique situation. To slow the spread …
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COVID-19 rapid response brief: Safe, temporary shelter for homeless populations during the pandemic
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, staff members at the Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT) have been conducting rapid response research for Michigan policy leaders who are working proactively to protect vulnerable communities across the state. In this analysis for county-level commissioners, we outline some of the strategies state and local governments are deploying to provide alternate temporary shelter spaces …
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