Telehealth services have expanded to address COVID-19 emergency. Let’s preserve the most effective innovations.
Over the past decade, telehealth services have been on the rise, in part due to the fact that more and more states are adopting telehealth-friendly policies. But by 2019, the proportion of U.S. consumers using telehealth services was still only about 10 percent. In light of the COVID-19 emergency, national Medicare and Michigan Medicaid and commercial plans have responded with …
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COVID-19 rapid response brief: Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on persons in poverty – strategies to consider
Amid an ever-changing COVID-19 crisis, the communities that have historically been segregated by income and race are struggling. The effects of systemic racism and poverty, reduced economic mobility, and the high cost of medical care are compounding inequities. Mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on persons in poverty is essential. To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its impact, social …
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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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COVID-19 rapid response brief: Meeting the behavioral health needs of Michigan’s prison population
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 the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, we explore best practices for meeting the behavioral health needs of Michigan’s …
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COVID-19 rapid response brief: Best practices for protecting populations in nursing homes, long-term care settings
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 the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, we explore best practices for protecting populations in long-term care settings such …
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Lost insurance in COVID-19 crisis? Act quickly to get ACA coverage. Already uninsured? In 38 states, including ours, it’s complicated.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has joined with governors from 11 other states on the federally facilitated exchange to urge the federal government to reopen the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace in light of the COVID-19 pandemic so Michigan residents who have lost insurance or who are without insurance can access coverage. For the 38 states that use the federally-facilitated Healthcare.gov marketplace, …
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What local health departments need to know about CARES Act funding and policy opportunities for COVID-19 response
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT) staff members 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 the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, we explore funding and policy opportunities in the 2020 CARES Act, signed into law …
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Health Insurance Marketplace: Michigan 2020 rate analysis finds increased choice, decreased rates, federal policy impact
The Health Insurance Marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) weathered several years of volatility and uncertainty at the federal level, but our rate analysis found that 2020, like 2019, was a year of stability in the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace. Following a tumultuous 2017 marked by Congressional “repeal and replace” debates, important administrative changes, and the termination of …
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Recruiting and retaining behavioral health workers in rural America: Our report and action guide
In the U.S., there are not enough behavioral health workers to meet the demand for mental health and substance use services, particularly in rural areas. Over the past year, the Center for Health and Research Transformation (CHRT) has worked closely with the University of Michigan’s Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center (BHWRC) to explore the approaches states have taken to address …
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A primer on Michigan’s community mental health system: A report for the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation
Michigan’s community mental health (CMH) system serves more than 300,000 people: Approximately 155,000 adults with serious mental illness, 51,000 children with serious emotional disturbance, 50,000 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and 73,000 people with substance use disorder. These community mental health services are funded by Medicaid, state general funds, block grants, and local funds. Approximately half (49 percent) of …
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