Highlights from
Medicaid's 59th Birthday Celebration! ??

Highlights from Medicaid's 59th Birthday Celebration! ??


July 30th marked the 59th birthday of Medicaid and Medicare. To celebrate, HealthTech 4 Medicaid (HT4M) hosted a birthday webinar?highlighting the program's historic impact, current challenges, and future innovations in advancing healthcare access and equity for millions of Americans. The conversation featured insights from Adimika Arthur, CEO & Executive Director, HT4M , Vacheria Keys, Associate Vice President, Policy & Regulatory Affairs, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) , and?Robert Nelb, Director of Policy, America's Essential Hospitals


Key Discussion Highlights

As we look to the future of Medicaid, our speakers shared their excitement about the evolving innovations and approaches to care. Here’s what they’re most looking forward to:

Addressing Health-Related Social Needs

  • Social Determinants of Health: "To live a healthy life is not just being able to see a doctor; it’s all those things that go between doctor visits that really make a difference," noted Vacheria Keys. Medicaid’s flexibility allows states to innovate by funding transportation, housing, and other critical needs.
  • Innovative Care Models: Robert Nelb highlighted Harris Health System's MVP (multivisit patient) program , which addresses high utilizers—patients with frequent emergency department visits. By creating cross-continuum partnerships and reducing stigma, this model delivers more relevant care and reduces overall utilization.

Value-Based Care (VBC) and Integration

  • Patient-Centered Innovations: VBC emphasizes moving beyond billing for services to enhance patient care. Innovations include integrating dental care with health centers, expanding telehealth, and using advanced analytics. "Imagine if we put that money into the safety net, what other innovations could come up," Robert suggested.
  • Compensation and Investment: Increased compensation for safety net providers could enable more investments in social determinants of health, improving both patient outcomes and system efficiency.

Telehealth and Flexibility in Care

  • Pandemic Impact: The pandemic demonstrated the critical role of telehealth. Vacheria pointed out that before the pandemic, virtual care wasn't an option under Medicare or Medicaid. Preserving these new flexibilities is essential for comprehensive care, especially for underserved areas.
  • New Solutions: Robert stressed the need for continued innovation in telehealth, including solutions for translation services to better support safety net populations.


Navigating Medicaid Redetermination Challenges

While innovations in care are exciting, there are significant challenges that need addressing. Speakers emphasized the impact Medicaid Redetermination has had on the ability of health centers to serve their patients, noting that partnerships with state and local governments have been crucial in assisting with redeterminations.

High procedural disenrollments have eroded trust in the system and significantly impacted health centers. According to KFF , 69% of?all people disenrolled have had their coverage terminated for procedural reasons,?which can occur when the state has outdated contact information or because the enrollee does not understand and/or complete renewal packets within a specific timeframe. Developing tools to prevent these disenrollments is crucial, as?gaps in coverage ultimately cost more as uninsured patients rely on federal funds for care.



Looking Ahead: Innovation and Equity

Looking to the future, our speakers shared their visions for Medicaid’s evolution.

  • Adimika emphasized the importance of educating and partnering with communities to drive effective healthcare innovations.
  • Vacheria is excited about leveraging AI to streamline care and expanding beyond traditional settings to meet communities where they are.
  • Robert hopes Medicaid will become a hub for innovation, particularly in addressing social determinants of health. He envisions a future where Medicaid’s role is not just supportive but transformative, providing a platform for groundbreaking advancements in healthcare. "My hope for Medicaid is that it will stop being the step child and will actually be a place for innovation, providing a way to pay for more social determinants of health."


Birthday Wishes for Medicaid ??

From our wonderful audience, here are some heartfelt birthday wishes for Medicaid:

  • Expansion in the remaining states.
  • Integration of dental benefits.
  • Expansion of RTM codes and exploration of SDOH reimbursements.
  • Cultural competency training for Medicaid providers.
  • Simpler and more understandable paperwork processes.
  • Fair compensation for Medicaid providers to ensure better care delivery.
  • For Medicaid providers to be paid what they deserve, and for beneficiaries to have the options they deserve.
  • Medicaid being seen as a tool to advance equity

Let us know your Medicaid birthday wish at?[email protected] !


Resources

  1. Medicaid Quick Facts: For state-specific Medicaid facts, check out KFF's Interactive Medicaid State Fact Sheets .
  2. NACHC's 2024 Chartbook: A comprehensive resource on Medicaid beneficiaries and providers, available here .


We are grateful to our speakers for their valuable insights and to all participants for their engagement. As we continue to celebrate Medicaid's contributions, let's work together to ensure it remains a robust, innovative, and equitable program. Connect with us here.

Scroll down for information about our signature annual event, the Future of Medicaid Innovation Forum 2025!


Save the date!

The Future of Medicaid Innovation Forum

January 14, 2025



Join HealthTech 4 Medicaid for our signature annual event! The?Future of Medicaid Innovation Forum?is taking place on?January 14th, 2025, 10 AM - 12 PM PST!

Now in its eighth year, this event will bring together leading innovators to tackle the latest issues, challenges, and market solutions at the intersection of health equity and tech equity. The Future of Medicaid Innovation Forum is designed to foster an interactive dialogue among various health tech and healthcare stakeholders, focusing on actionable steps to drive meaningful change in the Medicaid ecosystem. Featured speakers will discuss advancements in health equity and Medicaid, addressing the critical needs to eliminate barriers to technology, healthcare, and funding, thereby improving the lives of Medicaid recipients and other vulnerable populations.

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* Perfectly Stated: Social Determinants of Health: "To live a healthy life is not just being able to see a doctor; it’s all those things that go between doctor visits that really make a difference," noted Vacheria Keys. Medicaid’s flexibility allows states to innovate by funding transportation, housing, and other critical needs. “ VTB’s New Mission “ Russell, founder

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