Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Policy Lab: Using Data to Drive Public Policy and Funding Decisions

The unprecedented growth in the elder population will create a marked increase in the demand for quality long-term services and supports (LTSS) in the Commonwealth. For low-income elders who have limited assets, the cost of these services – including home- and community-based services (HCBS) and nursing home stays – will be borne primarily by MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program. Policy makers, executive-level leaders, and program managers need to plan for the expanded service needs of this population while also addressing the cost of services that threatens to be unsustainable. The LTSS Policy Lab, a collaboration among the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and the Office of Medicaid, is a resource to aid in program planning and fiscal forecasting, not just for the immediate budget cycle but also for the next five to 10 years and beyond

Considerations for Data Sharing Between Health Departments and Health Systems Dataset Holders

As the need for collaboration between health systems and public health programs increases, the need for safe methods of transferring patient datasets rises as well. This report for the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors talks about what health departments and health systems should be considering as the importance of data sharing evolves. This technical report reviews step by step what public health departments need to know before requesting and using health systems datasets. There is a presentation that accompanies this report

NASTAD Health Systems Data Technical Resource: Toolkit for Querying Claim Databases for HCV Testing and Treatment

This toolkit for the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors provides a list of diagnosis, procedure, and prescription drug codes to help health departments develop claims data queries to monitor Hepatitis C testing. It also helps health programs use data to identify individuals diagnosed with Hepatitis C, and gives suggestions for examining their services and treatment utilization. Having the ability to analyze claims data can help health departments become more informed when making decisions on public health planning and resource allocation