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The Geography of Uninsurance in Massachusetts, 2011-2015

Using data from the 2011-2015 five-year file of the American Community Survey, this brief and set of detailed tables provide estimates of local uninsurance rates in Massachusetts. The appendices provide data on the estimates of the number and rate of uninsurance by the following categories: all persons, males, females, children (ages 0-17), non-elderly adults (ages 18-64), and elderly (ages 65+). Each appendix provides these results for a different geographic unit, including large areas such as congressional districts and smaller areas such as school districts.

Estimating Cost Reductions Associated with the Community Support Program for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness

This report presents the results of a study analyzing the impact of the Community Support Program for People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness (CSPECH) on the utilization and cost of health care services. CSPECH is an innovative program through which MassHealth reimburses community-based support services provided to chronically homeless individuals residing in permanent supportive housing.

The MassHealth Waiver 2016–2022: Delivering Reform

This issue brief describes the key elements of the most recent MassHealth 1115 waiver extension, including the shift to a delivery system centered on Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners, a Delivery System Reform Incentive Program, the redesigned Safety Net Care Pool, and the expansion of services for treatment of substance use disorders. It concludes with a discussion of implications of the new system for major stakeholder groups.

Community Matters: Exploring the Link Between Community Characteristics and Uninsurance in Massachusetts

Despite the near-universal health insurance coverage that the state has maintained for nearly a decade, pockets of high uninsurance remain for both adults and children in communities across Massachusetts. This brief, prepared by the Urban Institute, explores the relationship between community characteristics and the uninsured rate for people of all ages in Massachusetts and highlights the geographic and community context of the remaining uninsured. It also provides data to better target outreach and enrollment activities.

Fostering Effective Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care in Massachusetts, Year One Report

This report includes findings from the evaluation of the 2015 Fostering Effective Integration grant program. The goals of the evaluation were to determine 1) how grantees defined “success” for their integration efforts, 2) grantee perceptions of the critical components of effective integration programs, 3) common barriers to integration, and 4) measures grantees used to assess programs.

Coordinating Care for Patients with Alcohol or Drug Use Disorders: Effective Practices and Common Barriers in Three Centers

In recent years, integrating treatment for mental health and substance use disorders (SUD) with primary care has been the subject of extensive research testing a number of different integration models and specific interventions. While many of these approaches have shown promise in demonstrations or clinical trials, the true test of value is in real-world settings where there are competing demands on scarce resources, strict fidelity to intervention protocols is difficult, and patients have multiple urgent needs.

Massachusetts Residents without Health Insurance Coverage: Understanding Those at Risk of Long-Term Uninsurance

Massachusetts currently has the lowest uninsurance rate in the nation, and as part of the individual mandate to carry health insurance coverage, the state collects detailed information through its tax filing process about the health insurance status of over four million residents. This report analyzes 2011 and 2012 state tax filer data and provides new information about Massachusetts residents that are prone to remaining uninsured over consecutive years.

UPDATED MassHealth: The Basics (June 2016)

UPDATED (June 2016) chart pack produced by the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI), a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, in partnership with the Center for Health Law and Economics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. This updated edition includes MassHealth enrollment as of January 2016 and spending from state fiscal year 2015 and is made available in PDF and Power Point formats to facilitate its use in presentations.

Comparison of the FY2017 House and Senate Budget Proposals for MassHealth (Medicaid) and Health Reform Programs

This brief describes the Massachusetts Senate fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget proposal for MassHealth (Medicaid) and other subsidized health coverage programs and compares it to the proposal put forth by the House. It is the third in a series of FY2017 budget briefs produced by the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI) in partnership with Health Management Associates. MMPI will be publishing budget briefs at several stages in the FY2017 budget process as proposals move through the state legislature.