Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mental Health Services In Rural Long-Term Care: Challenges And Opportunities For Improvement, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

To facilitate reform efforts, more research is needed on the current status of mental health services in rural long-term care. Also needed are new tools promoting the targeted use of provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to address the mental health needs of rural long-term care recipients. In this brief, we explore novel practices that hold promise for enhancing mental health services in rural long-term care, focusing primarily on the needs of rural elders who reside either in nursing facilities or in their own homes in the community. Key Findings: Despite high levels of need, individuals in long-term care …

Challenges And Opportunities For Improving Mental Health Services In Rural Long-Term Care, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Long Term Services and Supports

Despite high levels of need, individuals in long-term care often fail to receive appropriate mental health services, especially in rural areas. In this report (and accompanying Research & Policy Brief), we consider challenges and opportunities for improving mental health treatment delivered to long-term care recipients in rural settings. As background, we note the prevalence of mental health problems in long-term care populations, describe deficiencies in the mental health care afforded to long-term care recipients, and identify barriers that hinder the remediation of these deficiencies in rural settings. We also outline a rationale for enhancing mental health services in long-term …

Managing A High-Performance Medicaid Program, Eileen Griffin Jd, Trish Riley, Vikki Wachino, Robin Rudowitz

Disability & Aging

Today, the Medicaid program is evolving more rapidly than at any other time in its fifty-year history. States and the federal government are working to maximize the value and efficiency of Medicaid by reforming payment to reward value over volume, integrating effective care coordination across payers, and streamlining key processes like eligibility determinations across coverage programs. Underpinning a state’s ability to implement these reforms is its capacity to manage its Medicaid program effectively and efficiently.

This paper discusses key responsibilities that the federal government and states hold for managing the Medicaid program and identifies the key issues and challenges states …