Reality Check: The Costs of Living for Medicaid Beneficiaries in New York
This fact sheet and advocacy tool overviews the average costs of living for New Yorkers living up to 199% of the federal poverty line and how that conflicts with the income qualifications for Medicaid. It also provides facts on Substance Use Disorders and Social Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) limits in New York
Published by The National Council for Behavioral Health in 2017
Enrollment of Specialty Mental Health Clinics in a State Medicaid Program to Promote General Medical Services
This research study overviews enrollment rates of specialty mental health clinics in the Health Monitoring/Health Physical program which allowed for inclusion of basic physical health care coverage in mental health clinics. Adults with serious mental illness often have untreated chronic general medical conditions, and this integrated project allowed for specialty mental health clinics to bill Medicaid for basic general medical services.
Published by Psychiatric Services in February 2016. Breslau, J., Yu, H., Horvitz-Lennon, M., Leckman-Westin, E., Scharf, M., Connor, K. & Finnerty, M.
New York State Medicaid Reforms: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve the Health of Those with Serious Mental Illness
This commentary overviews three major Medicaid reform programs in New York State: Health Homes, Behavioral Health Managed Care, and the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program. It provides historical development, challenges and opportunities present within each program to address serious mental illness for Medicaid beneficiaries in New York.
Published by the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved in 2017. Authors: Castillo, E., Pincus, H., Smith, T., Miller, G. & Fish, D.
New York State Health Foundation: Integrating Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care
This article chronicles the events and data that led to the New York State Health Foundation and two state agencies—the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services—establishing Centers for Excellence in Integrated Care. At the time of publication, only 10 percent of New Yorkers with comorbid severe mental disorders and substance use disorders were receiving evidence-based treatment for both disorders.
Published by Health Affairs in October 2013. Authors: Isaacs, S., Jellinek, P., Garcel, J., Hunt, K. & Bunch, W.
Medicaid policy changes in mental health care and their effect on mental health outcomes
This research paper looks at increases in Medicaid spending on psychcotropic medications in correlation with the impact of well-being of individuals at the population level. The paper increases awreness of the impact of changes in the Medicaid Program and shows that increased spending on antidepressants and stimulants can positively impact certain treatment outcomes.
Published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2006. Authors: Cuellar, A. & Markowitz, S.
Did Project Liberty Displace Community-Based Medicaid Services in New York?
This research study reports on the impact of Project Liberty, a free counseling service funded by FEMA following the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001, on usage of community-based mental health services. The study finds that Medicaid services remained consistent even with the availability of free counseling from Project Liberty, and that organizations were minimally affected.
Published by Psychiatric Services Volume 57 in 2006. Authors: Gomes, C., McGuire, T., Foster, M., Donahue, S., Felton, C. & Essock, S.
Where You Live Matters: Quality and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Schizophrenia Care in Four State Medicaid Programs.
This data analysis looks at schizophrenia care quality by race and ethnicity over time in New York, California, Florida and North Carolina from 2002 to 2008. The report shows how schizophrenia care is deeply impacted by county of residence and race.
Published by Health Serv Res in October 2015. Authors: Horvitz-Lennon, M., Volya, R., Garfield, R., Donohue, J.M., Lave, J.R. & Normand, S.L.
Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Initiative
This website provides detailed information as it becomes available related to the Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Initiative, which provides rental subsidies for individuals who are identified as vulenerable, high-cost Medicaid members.
Managed by the New York State Department of Health last updated October 2017.
The cost-effectiveness of PHQ screening and collaborative care for depression in New York City.
This research paper overviews the role of the Collaborative Care model in conjunction with ThriveNYC to better diagnose depression in primary care settings. It also breaks down, into 2015 U.S. dollars, the costs of absenteeism and lost productivity for individuals with depression and compares those costs with estimated costs of PHQ depression screening in a primary care environment and collaborative care treatment. The findings show it is more cost effective to screen and treat then to leave depression undiagnosed.
Published by PLOS One in August 2017. Authors: Jiao, B., Rosen, Z., Bellanger, M., Belkin, G & Muennig, P.
Office of Mental Health: Statistics and Reports
This website maintained by the New York State Department of Health hosts the latest statistical data and report documents published by the Office of Mental Health. These resources include the Unmet Needs Assessment Report, Assertive Community Treatment Reports, patient characteristic and representative data and reports, employment and housing data, and gross expenditures in the New York public mental health system.
The Cost of Mental Illness: New York Facts and Figures
Improving access to high-quality medical care for patients with mental illness remains one of the most vexing problems facing the healthcare system in the United States. As a way to highlight key data on the health and economic impact of Medicaid and other federal policies in expanding access to care, coverage and utilization, the Behavioral Health & Economics Network, in collaboration with its research partners at the University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, have published a series of chartbooks for each participating state outlining the prevalence and impact of untreated mental illness in these states. The chartbooks are used by clinicians, administrators, advocates, and policymakers to inform state policy advocacy activities.
CCBHCs & New York: History, Impact, Future (Webinar)
This 22-minute webinar, created by the National Council for Behavioral Health, is designed for New Yorkers and will discuss Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). Rebecca Farley David, VP of Policy and Advocacy at the National Council, provides a brief background and overview of CCBHCs, New York CCBHC data from a 2017 Impact Survey, and next steps for attendees to take to extend and expand the project. Access the recording here.
Medicaid is Key to Addressing the Opioid Epidemic Fact Sheet
This fact sheet, created leveraging data from the USC Schaeffer Center, provides details on how vital Medicaid is to fighting the opioid crisis in New York. The call to action is for Medicaid funding to be maintained or increased in order to support the many individuals who rely on Medicaid for addictions treatment. An editable version is also provided for your own advocacy use.
Increase the Behavioral Health Workforce Fact Sheet
Increasing New York’s Behavioral Health Workforce Increases Access to Care and Decreases Avoidable Healthcare Costs. This fact sheet, created leveraging data from the USC Schaeffer Center, provides details on how the behavioral health workforce of New York need investment, and proper staffing can decrease ancillary costs associated with not receiving treatment.
New York & the Opioid Epidemic Webinar
This 20-minute webinar focuses on the scope of the opioid epidemic in New York State and the critical role Medicaid plays in ensuring treatment for all. Facilitated by Ashley Behrle of the NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, this webinar includes key data on the opioid epidemic and features two New York providers who highlight their experiences with Medicaid and opioid use disorder treatment. Access it here.
Support the Expansion Act for CCBHCs Fact Sheet
Support the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act. This fact sheet, leveraging data from the National Council’s 2017 Impact Survey, shows how Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are addressing the opioid epidemic and workforce issues. The call to action is to support The Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1905/H.R. 3931) to extend New York state’s CCBHCs activities for another year and expand the program to 11 additional states.
Opportunities in the Nexus of Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health Fact Sheet
Invest in Community Behavioral Health, Diversion Programs and Reentry Services to Save Corrections Dollars. This fact sheet, created leveraging data from the USC Schaeffer Center, provides details how individuals with serious mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. The ask, in addition to continuing to support critical diversion and re-entry programs across the state, is for lawmakers to support full funding for Close to Home and Raise the Age implementation to ensure that young people who are criminally involved have opportunities to access needed services including behavioral health programming to reduce recidivism and increase positive community integration. An editable word document is available for personalized advocate use.
