• Op-ed: Allison Sesso's op-ed titled "Human Services’ Critical Role in Improving Health Care" was published in Governing. A follow-up to HSC's report Integrating Health and Human Services: a Blueprint for Partnership and Action, the op-ed calls for policy change, strategic investment, and collaboration across sectors to address social determinants of health and improve overall well-being. Read Op-ed | Download Report

• RFP Rating: HSC has released a rating of the 2018 Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative RFP, which requires that providers set aside 25 percent of designated ESSHI units for high-cost, high-need Medicaid users. View Rating

• Data: The City Health Dashboard, a free online resource that provides data on 36 indicators of health, has expanded to include 500 cities. The Dashboard captures information on social determinants of health down to the neighborhood level. Read Press Release | Explore Dashboard

• Report: The Nonprofit Finance Fund has released a report that explores how collaboration between human services and healthcare organizations can significantly improve the well-being of communities across the U.S. Download Report

• Proposed Rule and Request for Information: On April 27, CMS issued proposed rules that would "advance administrative burden reduction, Medicare modernization, and the Meaningful Measures Initiative." The agency also released a request for information "to obtain feedback on positive solutions to better achieve interoperability or the sharing of healthcare data between providers" via My HealthEData. View Press Release

• Proposed Rule and Request for Information: In the proposed hospital payment rule issued last month, CMS announced plans to overhaul the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, which are now known as the Promoting Interoperability programs. CMS has proposed to focus the program requirements on EHR interoperability and providing patients with electronic access to their health information, so data follow the patient and consumers can take ownership of and access their records in a usable format. Read Fact Sheet | Read Proposed Rule

• Budget Guidance: DOH has issued guidance to plan administrators regarding the FY 2019 State budget. Although this document is addressed to plans, it includes information about changes that affect providers. View Guidance

• Legislation: S8687/A10818, introduced this month, would authorize the commissioner of health to adjust Medicaid rates of payment for certified home health agencies, managed long term care plans, hospices, long term home health care programs, licensed home care services agencies and other entities for recruitment, training and retention of direct care workers for services in shortage areas and by shortage disciplines. View Legislation

• Care Coordination FAQs: OPWDD has released a group of documents titled "Care Coordination Organization and Consent - FAQs for Medicaid Service Coordinators." These documents address questions from Medicaid Service Coordinators during the last several MSC information sessions regarding how to support individuals and families in the transition to Care Coordination Organizations. View FAQs

• Request for Comments: The Children's Medicaid System Transformation group held a stakeholder meeting on May 23 regarding the Draft HCBS Workflow. Stakeholder comments on the Workflow are due by Wednesday, May 30. View Workflow Slides | Submit Comments (in the subject line please indicate “HCBS Workflow Comments”)

• Request for Ideas: Through June 15, the Bureau of Social Determinants of Health within NYSDOH seeks public input in identifying innovative ideas to address the social determinants of health (SDH) for Medicaid members across the state through its "Call for SDH Innovations." Submit a Response

• Survey: NYSDOH and SOFA have issued a survey on barriers and gaps for New York’s long term care system. They request responses by June 18. Read Background | Take Survey

• Plan Approval: On April 13, CMS approved New York’s State Plan Amendment (SPA #17-0025). The approval of the SPA will provide Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs) with the authority to provide Health Home Care Management services to people with developmental disabilities beginning July 1, 2018. Read SPA

• Panel: On Tuesday, May 29, the Nonprofit Finance Fund will hold an online panel discussion titled "Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Navigating Contract Development & Launch." The discussion will feature the heads of two organizations currently engaged in innovative, outcomes-oriented, statewide contracts to improve the health of their communities. Topics include: planning for the operational and financial implications of partnership; managing relationships and negotiating contracts with state partners; and programmatic and funding considerations in scaling/institutionalizing contract pilots. Register

• Trainings - Beginning on May 30, MCTAC will hold in-person trainings across the state for providers that serve individuals under 21 and are designated to provide or plan to provide New Children's Health and Behavioral Health State Plan Services (SPA Services). View MCTAC Calendar

• Webinar: On Thursday, June 7, Health Management Associates will hold a webinar titled "Partnership Opportunities for Payers, Providers, and States: Supportive Housing for High Utilizers." Medicaid and supportive housing consultants from HMA will outline nationally recognized, evidence-based supportive housing models used to bend the healthcare cost curve, citing specific programs and outcomes. Register

• Training - On June 21, 26, and 27, MCTAC+ is offering a series of trainings across the State on policy changes and initiatives that will increase access to and utilization of Adult BH HCBS. The trainings will cover the updated SDE policy and guidance; the funds that the State is making available to providers and plans to support innovation, collaboration, and streamlined rapid access of Adult BH HCBS; and what MCOs are looking for in provider proposals and what is need in their catchment areas. View SDE Guidance | Register

• Training - MCTAC+ is offering a series of trainings across the state titled "Value-Based Payment: A Guide for Direct Care Practitioners." Register

• Training - MCTAC+ is offering a series of trainings across the state titled "Value-Based Payment: A Guide for Managers in Behavioral Health." Register

• Webinars - Semester 2 of MCTAC's Performance-Driven Academy (PDA) will begin in July. The PDA is a year-long educational series designed to prepare organizations for value-based payment. Semester 2 will address fiscal management practices and maintaining a successful leadership team. Learn More

• Medicaid Evidence Based Policy Assistance: The New York State Department of Health, Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP) is seeking proposals from bidders who can assist the Department with evidence-based research, decision making and policy design related to Medicaid basic benefit redesign efforts. This RFP is not intended for direct human service providers but could signal a change to determinations of coverage of health technologies or services. View Solicitation

• Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI): NYSOMH has issued a multi-agency RFP for the development and operation of at least 1,200 new units of supportive housing for persons identified as homeless with special needs, conditions, or other life challenges. This RFP seeks to award the third year’s commitment of funding from the Governor's plan to develop 6,000 units over five years. NYS will award service and operating funding for units of housing developed to support the needs of individuals residing in the units. Applicants must apply separately for capital funding. Projects may receive up to $25,000 per qualifying individual/unit. Applicants must respond via Grants Gateway. View Solicitation

• Rapid Transition Housing Program: NYSDOH has released a Rapid Transition Housing Program RFA, seeking applications from CBOs to provide rental subsidies and non-medical services to Medicaid members who are either transitioning from a skilled nursing facility or are homeless. Participants in the program must be referred as homeless high-utilizers by a hospital, MCO, medical respite, PPS, or SNF. This program is in effect from 12/1/2014 through 11/30/2018. NYSDOH is seeking to fund up to three projects to provide rental subsidies and supportive housing services. The anticipated amount of funding is $7,000,000 per year, with $2.5M allocated to currently served locations and $2M allocated to one new location. View Solicitation

• NYSDOH Medicaid Redesign Team homepage
• NYSDOH VBP University
• NYSDOH YouTube channel
• NYSDOH Medicaid Redesign Listserv registration
• VBP acronyms and key terms list
• MCTAC webinar archive
• Video series about the CBO perspective on VBP
• Webinar: "Ensuring Your Goals Align with a Potential Partner"
• Adult Behavioral Health Medicaid Managed Care video series
• Previous HSC VBC Newsletters