Epstein Becker Green and EBG Advisors, as part of the Thought Leaders in Population Health Speaker Series, hosted a complimentary webinar titled Can Population Health Management Interventions Help State Medicaid Plan Offerings? This session discussed whether or not population health interventions can help state Medicaid Programs, as well as serving as a vehicle to integrate mental health interventions into mainstream medicine.
The webinar, scheduled for December 18, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. ET, featured Joe Parks, MD, Director, Missouri HealthNet Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services. Cliff Barnes, Member of Epstein Becker Green, moderated the session and also provided some comments on how Medicaid Programs have evolved in recent years.
With the adoption of the Affordable Care Act, much attention is now being focused on State Medicaid Programs, as many are expanding at a rapid pace to accommodate the millions of Americans who cannot afford to pay for individual coverage or who do not participate in a qualified employer-sponsored plan. Medicaid is the nation’s health care safety net, which is jointly financed by the states and the federal government. Nationwide, Medicaid spent more than $420 billion last year to provide health care to more than 72 million Americans.
This session focused on how state Medicaid programs are utilizing case management and other population health management interventions to improve clinical and financial outcomes. One major issue concerns ongoing budgeting issues, along with how to bend the cost curve and generally “fix” the Medicaid system. The session also touched base on how to best implement meaningful population health programs where federal, state and local agencies often need to fund, pay for and coordinate care together.
Among other topics, Dr. Parks highlighted key activities occurring in the State of Missouri, including its medical home and managed care initiatives to integrated care to Missourians who are enrolled in Medicaid. As the co-founder of the Medicaid Health Plans of America, Mr. Barnes offered some key public policy, legal and operational observations about how Medicaid has evolved in the past and where it is heading into the future.
The Thought Leaders in Population Health Speaker Series offered participants informative and insightful guidance on how population health strategies are transforming the health care paradigm as the industry moves towards the measurement and management of integrated delivery systems such as accountable care organizations (ACOs). All previous webinar programs can be viewed online.
“The Population Health Webinar Series attempts to find some common ground for health care professionals and other health care stakeholders by identifying best practices and creating a call to action for collaboration and outcomes improvement nationwide,” said Epstein Becker Green’s Barnes. “From the Affordable Care Act and data analytics, to advancement in health IT systems, a number of factors are having a significant impact on the health care delivery system.”
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The Speakers
Joe Parks, MD, Director, Missouri HealthNet, a Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services
Dr. Parks has authored or coauthored a number of original articles, monographs, technical papers, and reviews on Behavioral Health services delivery and policy. He has received several leadership awards, including two from the Missouri Primary Care Association (2012) and Missouri Chapter of Mental Health America (2011). Dr. Parks has also received innovation and quality improvement awards from organizations such as URAC (2008), the Missouri Governor’s Award for Quality and Productivity (2011) and the Missouri Governor’s Pinnacle Award for Quality and Productivity (2012).
Cliff Barnes, Member, Epstein Becker Green
Session moderator Cliff Barnes has practiced with Epstein Becker Green for over 30 years and offers strategic counsel for providers, including hospitals, managed care companies and contract research organizations. He has a deep understanding of health care issues related to mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and various forms of contracting, including risk arrangements, international transactions, antitrust issues, fraud and abuse and compliance programs. Mr. Barnes is the Co-Founder of Medicaid Health Plans of America, Inc.
