On November 13, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a letter to state Medicaid directors outlining a wide range of opportunities for states to design innovative delivery systems for adults and children with serious mental health conditions.

As expected, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) issued proposed changes to the regulations governing Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care last week. The changes follow a comprehensive overhaul of the regulations in 2016. CMS announced that the newest proposals seek to rollback certain changes made in 2016 in an effort to provide more flexibility for states.

On October 24, 2018, the President signed H.R. 6, the Support for Patients and Communities Act. The new legislation contains amendments to Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal laws to address the opioid crisis.

On June 11, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance to state Medicaid directors about how states can harness Medicaid health information technology to combat the opioid crisis. CMS encourages states to pursue strategies such as enhanced prescription drug monitoring programs, drug utilization review programs, and opioid risk assessment tools which can be integrated into electronic health record systems...