CEO Andy Keller Testifies on COVID-19 Mental Health Impacts, Recommendations
AUSTIN – Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute President and CEO Andy Keller, PhD, presented invited testimony to the Texas House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Article II, Thursday morning about the significant mental health impacts of…
2020 Devastated U.S. Mental Health — Healing must be a Priority
This opinion piece was coauthored by the Meadows Institute’s Andy Keller, PhD and National Alliance on Mental Illness CEO, Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. It was originally published by The Hill on February 23, 2021. It…
Each year, about 3,000 Texas adolescents and young adults ages 14-35 experience a first episode of psychosis (FEP).Many have access to health insurance through their parents (up to age 26), Medicaid or CHIP, but they…
In March 2018, in response to Article II, HHSC Rider 45 of the 2018-19 General Appropriations Act (85(R) SB 1), the Meadow Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) reviewed performance measures for individuals with serious mental…
In March 2018, in response to Article II, HHSC Rider 45 of the 2018-19 General Appropriations Act (85(R) SB 1), the Meadow Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) reviewed performance measures for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in Texas and other states’ Medicaid managed care programs, focusing particularly on widely-used Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures.
The use of performance measures that address physical and behavioral health status is important, since individuals with SMI tend to experience shortened life expectancy and high costs for co-morbid, chronic health concerns (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, heart disease) as a result of poorer overall health and the challenges associated with behavioral health conditions.
Most quality management programs have performance metrics that measure processes (e.g., member access to follow-up care upon hospital discharge) and outcomes (e.g., helping people recover and gain the skills needed to benefit from less intensive care). Both process and outcome measures are useful. Typically, states and/or managed care organizations (MCOs) select several performance measures that merit additional payments to the MCO and/or the providers when positive results are achieved.
This white paper also includes recommendations to Texas Health and Human Services Commission for improved performance monitoring.
