Tag: Interviews

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Medicaid and Jail Health Episode 2: Interview with Blaire Bryant

Guest bio

Blaire Bryant is the Associate Legislative Director for Health at the National Association of Counties. In this capacity she works with county officials across the nation to set NACo’s policies on matters related to health policy and the public health system. Blaire holds a B.A. in Biopsychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and a Master’s Degree in Community Health Education from the University of Maryland College Park.

Highlights from this episode

  1. The challenge of using jails and prisons for mental health care delivery
  2. Key terms, especially pre-trial detainees, post-conviction, recidivism
  3. NACO’s partnership with sheriff’s association
  4. Constitutional issues around removing healthcare coverage for pre-trial detainees
  5. Key differences between jails and prisons, especially the different continuity of care issues
  6. Medicaid inmate exclusion policy- key issues, impact, efforts to change
  7. NACO top objectives- educate federal partners and the general public on the inmate exclusion policy, advocate for change in federal policy to allow pre-trial detainees to continue to receive federal policy, provide resources for local level advocates to pursue change, and create one body of research that examines all the components in the issue
  8. In depth discussion of recent legislative efforts
  9. State options to improve right now, including suspending Medicaid enrollment vs terminating it, and options for 1115 waivers

Further Exploration

Blaire’s recommended reads

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Medicaid and Jail Health Episode 1: Interview with Dr. Evan Ashkin

Guest bio

Evan Ashkin, MD, is the founder of the Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) Program, which aims to help recently released inmates with chronic illnesses to receive proper medical care upon rejoining their communities. Ashkin also serves as professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine

Highlights from this episode

  1. The challenge of using jails and prisons for mental health care delivery
  2. Healthcare needs profile of formerly incarcerated individuals
  3. Overview of the Transitions Clinic and NC FIT model
  4. Common misunderstandings about care provided to incarcerated individuals
  5. Importance of connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with community health workers are also formerly incarcerated
  6. Medication assisted treatment (MAT) and the opportunity window to avoid overdose deaths
  7. Lack of teaching about jail health in medical schools
  8. Tips to get a re-entry program started in your state

Further Exploration

Information about the Transitions Clinic Network and the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition (FIT) program

Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program

https://transitionsclinic.org/

Meeting Health Needs at Reentry: North Carolina’s FIT Program

Ashkin serves as co-guest editor for November issue of NCMJ – Department of Family Medicine

They’re Out of Prison. Can They Stay Out of the Hospital?

 November 01, 2019, 80 (6) | North Carolina Medical Journal

Spotlight on the Safety Net | North Carolina Medical Journal

Prevalence of Chronic Health Conditions Among Adults Released From the North Carolina Prison System, 2015-2016 | North Carolina Medical Journal

Dr. Ashkin’s recommended reads

After Prison, Healthy Lives Built On Access To Care And Community

Allison Roth – Insane: America’s Treatment of Mental Illness

Michelle Alexander. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

13th (film)

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Episode#7: Interview with Elena Nicolella

Guest bio

Elena is the Executive Director of the New England States Consortium Systems Organization (NESCSO), where she has served for the past 4 years. Before her time at NESCSO, she played various roles in Rhode Island HHS agencies, including Medicaid Director.

Highlights from this episode

  1. Defining interoperability in terms of the CMS final rule.
  2. Defining what data the rule requires to be shared by Medicaid agencies, especially around adjudicated encounters/claims
  3. Member identity verification for data exchange in third party applications
  4. Limits to states’ authority over whether to provide data to 3rd Party Apps, or what happens after the provide it
  5. Expected member interest / appetite for more access to data.
  6. Impact of expiration of the HITECH Act funding
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Episode#6: Interview with Ed Cantwell

Guest bio

Ed is the President and CEO at the Center for Medical Interoperability. He has served in that role for the past seven years. Before that, he has been in executive leadership in multiple technology companies, particularly in the wireless and telecom industry. He also spent 11 years in the United States Air Force.

Highlights from this episode

  1. The critical goals of building a trust platform and data standardization; HIPAA as barrier to trusted health system
  2. 21st century cures act use of open API / forcing more exchange
  3. Differences between federal policy approach and industry association approach to trusted exchange and data standards
  4. Overlap of CMS/ONC efforts
  5. How meaningful use morphs into interoperability
  6. Issues with proprietary data and interoperability; information blocking as a concept
  7. How pressures on providers from various regulatory bodies makes it hard for providers to embrace yet another paradigm change
  8. The idea of surveillance capitalism
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Medicaid Buy-In: Episode#7- Interview with Laura Colbert

Listen to the Podcast

  • Guest Bio
  • Show notes

Laura ColbertLaura is the Executive Director at Georgians for a Healthy Future, where she advocates for health policies that expand coverage and access for Georgians. Before her current role, Laura worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the CDC. She holds an MPH from Emory University.  

Highlights from this episode

  • GA Healthy Access effort.  
  • Exiting federal marketplace 
  • GA is introducing 2 new plan types: copper and disease management plans
  • State is asking for waiver of 2 requirements in ACA: 1- Not wanting to have plans have to cover all 10 essential health benefits and 2- waiving maximum out of pocket costs for consumers
  • How the new model proposed in GA might impact cost and network in rural areas
  • Possible adverse selection in some of the more comprehensive disease management plans
  • Unpacking the ACA 4 Guardrails for waiver requests
  • Impact of reinterpreting Guardrails to give states more flexibility
  • GA partial medicaid expansion effort
  • Work requirements, copays/premiums
  • Proposal to extend pregnancy medicaid from 60 days post birth to 6 months post birth

About our Sponsor

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