MLTSS Institute

The MLTSS institute is a collaboration between ADvancing States members and national Medicaid health plans intended to drive improvements in key MLTSS policy issues, facilitate sharing and learning among states, and provide direct and intensive technical assistance to states and health plans.

All three focus areas of the Institute include the common themes of: 1) building state agency capacity; 2) fostering innovation at the state level; and 3) providing a feedback loop to the federal policy dialogue.

ADvancing States and CHCS Release Report Release Brief on the Value of Integrated Care

ADvancing States is pleased to announce the release of a new issue brief, The Value of Pursuing Medicare-Medicaid Integration for Medicaid Agencies, co-authored with the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). This issue brief is the latest publication from the MLTSS Institute, which was established in 2016 to drive improvements in key managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) policy areas, facilitate sharing and learning among states, and provide direct and intensive technical assistance to states and health plans. This issue brief is also the first of three to be published in the next six months focused on aspects of delivering effective care to individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dually eligible beneficiaries).

Only about two-thirds of states have undertaken any activity to better integrate care for dually eligible beneficiaries; based on focus group discussions and interviews, states often cite the lack of value that accrues to the Medicaid program as a primary reason for their inaction. This issue brief aims to lay out the case for state Medicaid agencies to invest in integrated care programs, based on published research and data currently available.  The research shows that integrated care makes a difference in:

• Increasing beneficiary satisfaction and quality of care;
• Reducing long-term services supports utilization and overall costs; and
• Managing Medicaid program data.

ADvancing States hopes that this issue brief will highlight the value that state Medicaid agencies can realize from investing the time and effort needed to bring the Medicare and Medicaid programs together in a productive way for dually eligible beneficiaries.

State Consulting

As part of the MLTSS Institute, ADvancing States can provide intensive, state-specific consulting on a wide range of MLTSS issues.  These may include:

• Presentations to state leadership, legislators and providers on national MLTSS trends and implications for state agencies on implementation and oversight.
• Serving as a national subject matter expert in meetings with key advisory boards and taskforces in the community to chart short- and long-term planning objectives. 
• Reviewing and providing feedback on quality strategies/measures.
• Writing or editing state’s managed care authority documents (SPAs or waivers), MLTSS RFPs or MCO contracts.
• Developing and/or reviewing MCO readiness review tools and recommendations for addressing MLTSS program elements, including participation on readiness reviews if requested. 

MLTSS Institute Advisory Board Members: