Hilltop Presents to Ohio Decision Makers on Innovations in Integrated Care and on Medicaid in an Era of Health Reform

Hilltop Executive Director Charles Milligan traveled to Columbus, Ohio, on February 23, 2011, to give two presentations to decision makers. Milligan discussed opportunities to better serve persons dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles) in his presentation to the Ohio Association of Health Plans and the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging (O4A) entitled Innovations in Integrated Care. He discussed the importance of integrating long-term services and supports for this population; the results of Hilltop’s research on Medicare/Medicaid cross-payer effects for dual eligibles that found that Medicare and Medicaid financing do not align to promote home and community-based services (HCBS) and that the HCBS waiver is only cost-effective (at the individual level) for Medicaid when it truly avoids a nursing home placement; and new opportunities for states under the Affordable Care Act to better serve dual eligibles. To view the presentation, click here. To view a press release on the presentation, clickhere . To access Hilltop’s reports on Medicare/Medicaid cross-payer effects, click here. To view a video clip of Milligan discussing this issue, click here.

Also on February 23, Milligan gave a presentation entitled Medicaid Basics in an Era of Health Reform to two groups—Ohio state legislators and their staff, and other stakeholders—sponsored by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. In this legislative briefing, Milligan gave an overview of Medicaid and discussed budget tools used by states to manage Medicaid programs, which are important for lawmakers to understand when developing and assessing budget and program proposals. Milligan also addressed the implications of federal health reform for state Medicaid programs and the changing state/federal relationship. To view the presentation, click here.

February 24, 2011