School of Public Health lab awarded $12.6 million to continue Texas Medicaid 1115 Waiver Evaluation
Experts from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health have been awarded $12.6 million to continue their work as the independent evaluators for the Texas Medicaid 1115 Wavier for the third consecutive evaluation period. These faculty were selected twice before by Texas Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicaid in the state, to evaluate 1115 Waver efforts to improve health care in Texas.
The award is for a 10-year extension of the research team’s statewide evaluation of the Texas 1115 Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Waiver (1115 waiver). This extension builds upon the work funded by a previous award of $5 million for the period 2018-2022, which was granted in fiscal year 2019. The renewal sought to improve health care access, quality and cost-effectiveness through three focus areas: Medicaid Managed Care, the uncompensated care system and a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program.
For that evaluation, the team analyzed a variety of health-related administrative data, Medicaid claims data, and developed and conducted surveys with Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment providers to assess health care access, quality and cost on Medicaid patients and the low-income, uninsured population in Texas. The data is analyzed on ViDaL (Virtual Data Library), the compliant research computing facility co-managed by the Population Informatics Lab, the High Performance Research Computing group, and the Privacy and Security Offices, all at Texas A&M. The team submitted its final evaluation report to Texas Health and Human Services in mid-March. The final report eventually will be submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Hye-Chung Kum, PhD, director of the Population Informatics Lab in the Department of Health Policy and Management and lead researcher in all three evaluations, said the evaluations have provided School of Public Health faculty and students rich opportunities for applied research that also directly informs policies and practices in Texas.
“One example that goes beyond the report of this project is our active research portfolio on the use of emergency departments,” Kum said. “This not only has helped us train students in data science for health services research, but also has resulted in a doctoral dissertation and more than 15 peer-reviewed publications to date, many of which involve junior faculty who went on to attract additional funding.”
In addition, Kum said the lab has hired public health student research assistants and program graduates who will gain real-world, hands-on experience in preparation for careers in population health management.
Others participating in the next evaluation are Robert Ohsfeldt, PhD, Eva Shipp, PhD, and Qi Zheng, PhD, all School of Public Health faculty members associated with the Population Informatics Lab. Kum and Ohsfeldt have been part of the evaluation team since the first evaluation in 2011–2016, and Shipp and Zheng joined starting the second evaluation in 2018.
During the new contract period, from Sept. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2032, the researchers will continue to analyze Medicaid claims data to assess progress on the Medicaid Managed Care programs and conduct surveys with providers in Texas. In addition, they will conduct new surveys and interviews with providers and with Managed Care Organizations and analyze new administrative data to assess the new directed payment programs and supplemental payment programs.
The post School of Public Health lab awarded $12.6 million to continue Texas Medicaid 1115 Waiver Evaluation appeared first on Vital Record.
Latest Texas A&M Health
- New research sheds light on why college students in Mexico choose to vapeMany smokers begin using tobacco products as young adults, and vaping—consuming tobacco through an e-cigarette or other device that typically uses a battery, heating element and a liquid to produce an inhalable aerosol—is the method of choice for this age group. Users often believe that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes or can help smokers… The post New research sheds light on why college students in Mexico choose to vape appeared first on Vital Record.
- Novel mobile air monitoring technology yields greater insight into post-disaster pollution levelsA team including researchers from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health and School of Medicine has found that high resolution mass spectrometry could be a valuable tool for identifying and assessing air-borne contaminants produced by natural and man-made disasters. Their findings were published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. The… The post Novel mobile air monitoring technology yields greater insight into post-disaster pollution levels appeared first on Vital Record.
- Samba Reddy appointed editor of Experimental NeurologySamba Reddy, PhD, RPh, Regents Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and director of the Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics at Texas A&M University School of Medicine, has been appointed the editor of Experimental Neurology, a prestigious monthly peer-reviewed medical journal. Experimental Neurology, renowned for its focus on neuroscience research on the… The post Samba Reddy appointed editor of Experimental Neurology appeared first on Vital Record.
- National Nurses Week: Nurses Make the DifferenceNational Nurses Week is May 6-12, and the Texas A&M University School of Nursing is putting the spotlight on our exceptional Aggie nurses. In honor of this year’s national theme, we asked some students, faculty and staff how “Nurses Make the Difference.” Sarah Dailey, BSN, RN ’11 Nurse Home Visitor, Nurse-Family Partnership at Texas A&M… The post National Nurses Week: Nurses Make the Difference appeared first on Vital Record.
- A decade later, Obamacare remains a political battlefield in the minds of AmericansThe 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) was one of the most significant—and controversial—regulatory overhauls of health care coverage in U.S. history. The ACA affected millions of Americans by increasing access to Medicaid and reducing the costs of health insurance and health care in general. While the ACA continues to shape U.S. health care policy at… The post A decade later, Obamacare remains a political battlefield in the minds of Americans appeared first on Vital Record.
- George Martinez honored with educator award at Central Texas Veterans Healthcare SystemGeorge Martinez, MD, has been honored at the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, receiving the distinguished Texas A&M University School of Medicine Department of Medical Education Mid-to Late Career Educator Award. This recognition celebrates Martinez’s exceptional dedication and remarkable contributions to medical education and leadership within the institution. Martinez’s illustrious career spanning over three decades… The post George Martinez honored with educator award at Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System appeared first on Vital Record.