The authors of this article, published by the Journal of Applied Gerontology, interviewed stakeholders in Maryland, one of the first states to adopt CFC, to assess challenges, benefits, and potential implications of this Medicaid option for state and federal policy makers. Study findings suggest that expanding coverage for home and community-based services (HCBS) through CFC in Maryland has been financially feasible, expanded the personal care workforce, and supported a more equitable approach to personal care services. The article concludes that greater coverage for HCBS is a promising avenue to improve access to care for high-need Medicaid beneficiaries. Hilltop’s Cynthia Woodcock and Ian Stockwell were contributing authors.
The Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force, established by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, recommends that the Maryland Department of Health review Maryland Medicaid rates for substance use disorder (SUD) services every three years. This chart book reviews SUD services provided by the Maryland Medicaid program from CY 2012 to CY 2016 and compares the rates with those of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.
This chart book outlines the demographics and service utilization for individuals enrolled in the Maryland Medicaid Dental Program who received services in calendar years 2012 through 2016. Individuals who qualify for dental services include those enrolled in Medicaid fee-for-service or a HealthChoice managed care organization.
This chart book compares the Medicaid reimbursement rates of Maryland and its surrounding states with Maryland’s Medicare fee schedule. The surrounding states included in this study are Pennsylvania; West Virginia; Virginia; Washington, DC; and Delaware.
Hilltop Senior Policy Analyst Charles Betley, MA, is a co-author of this top-cited article published in the journal Population Health Management. The article presents the findings of a study, funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which sought to examine whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and benefit levels are associated with reduced subsequent hospital and emergency department utilization in low-income older adults who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles). Researchers found that while participation in SNAP did reduce hospitalizations, it did not reduce ED visits. The research team is a collaboration led by Benefits Data Trust (BDT) including BDT, Hilltop, the Johns Hopkins Schools of Nursing and Public Health, and Northwestern University. Organizational partners include the Maryland Departments of Health and Human Resources.
Little is known about cost savings of programs that reduce disability in older adults. The objective of this study was to determine whether the Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) program saves Medicaid more money than it costs to provide.
Ian Stockwell, PhD, was co-author of this article published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.
This report describes the services The Hilltop Institute provided to the Maryland Department of Health (the Department) under the Master Agreement between Hilltop and the Department. The report covers fiscal year (FY) 2017 (July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017). Hilltop’s interdisciplinary staff provided a wide range of services, including: Medicaid program development and policy analysis; HealthChoice program support, evaluation, and financial analysis; long-term services and supports program development, policy analysis, and financial analytics; and data management and web-accessible database development.
Hilltop Senior Policy Analyst Charles Betley, MA, is a co-author of this article published in the journal BMC Geriatrics. The article presents the findings of a study, funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which sought to examine whether Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and benefit levels are associated with reduced subsequent hospital and emergency department utilization in low-income older adults who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles). Researchers found that while participation in SNAP did reduce hospitalizations, it did not reduce ED visits. The research team is a collaboration led by Benefits Data Trust (BDT) including BDT, Hilltop, the Johns Hopkins Schools of Nursing and Public Health, and Northwestern University. Organizational partners include the Maryland Departments of Health and Human Resources.
Hilltop staff made several presentations at the 2017 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) in New Orleans. At the State Health Research and Policy Interest Group Meeting on June 24, Policy Analyst Jamie John, MPH, presented this poster, which provides a picture of diabetes-related service use and costs in HealthChoice, Maryland’s Medicaid managed care program, in calendar years 2013 and 2014.
Hilltop staff made several presentations at the 2017 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) in New Orleans. At the State Health Research and Policy Interest Group Meeting on June 24, Senior Policy Analyst Charles Betley, MA, presented this poster. Because Maryland is among the 13 states that only cover emergency dental benefits for adults, this research sought to estimate the cost to Maryland to expand Medicaid dental coverage for adults in order to cover a broader range of services.