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6 States Earn Honors for Innovative Medicaid Programs

Analysis  |  By Eric Wicklund  
   September 14, 2022

The 2022 Medicaid Innovation Awards, issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Academy for State Health Policy, honor states that have developed innovative programs or approaches that address challenges to accessing care.

Six states are being recognized for innovative Medicaid programs aims at reducing barriers to healthcare access.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Academy for State Health Policy have handed out 2022 Medicaid Innovation Awards to states "for demonstrating creativity, leadership, and progress in their Medicaid programs despite significant public health challenges in recent years."

The Medicaid program, administered by states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), cover roughly one in every five Americans, including seniors, those with disabilities and about 40% of all children. Consulting with CMS, states can modify their Medicaid programs to address unique challenges or populations.

The award winners are:

  • Kentucky, which earned the Enrollment Innovation Award for launching measures during the COVID-19 pandemic that simplify Medicaid enrollment "and increase access to coverage including targeted, data-driven marketing and outreach; a simplified application; and coordination with other state agencies."
  • North Carolina, which earned the Improving Access to Care Award for a maternal/perinatal telehealth policy developed during the COVID-19 pandemic that features telehealth and home healthcare for patients, reimbursement to perinatal care providers for remote blood pressure monitoring, physiological monitoring, and lactation services, and postpartum depression screenings by video, phone, and online portal messaging.
  • Arizona, which received the Initiatives to Address Social Determinants of Health Award for its Whole Person Care Initiative, which offers support services that include transitional housing, transportation to community-based services for help with employment, food assistance and other issues, and long-term care services to reduce social isolation.
  • West Virginia, which earned the Care Coordination Initiatives for Vulnerable Populations Award for a new program aimed at helping children in foster care access needed healthcare services.
  • Minnesota, which received the Addressing Health Disparities Award for a program that engages community members in making recommendations on how to address racial equity for Black Minnesotans.
  • California, which earned the Promising or Emerging Initiatives Award for a program aimed at addressing challenges like homelessness, lack of access to behavioral healthcare services, caring for children with complex medical conditions, and healthcare services for individuals in legal trouble and seniors.

“The federal-state Medicaid partnership enables states to develop tailored, creative solutions to local challenges, and when faced with an unprecedented pandemic, Medicaid leaders dug deep to develop innovative approaches to care,” Tara Oakman, interim managing director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said in a press release. “While it remains a difficult period for Medicaid programs, all states can learn from successes in other states in improving Medicaid access, care delivery, and equity.” 

Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation, Technology, and Pharma for HealthLeaders.


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