Medicaid Resources and Updates

• Update on Medicaid Webinar
• Three-question survey on your Medicaid efforts COMING SOON
• Announcing new Medicaid Learning Community!

Update on Medicaid Webinar
It has been three months since NAQC, the Tobacco Control Network and CDC partnered to bring you the webinar on the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guideline allowing quitlines as an allowable administrative cost expenditure. No doubt, many of you have been working hard with your Medicaid partners to build relationship, find ways to claim expenditures under the new guideline, and promote quitlines to beneficiaries and healthcare providers.

In the process of collecting questions from members leading up to the July 27^th webinar, we learned that many of you are struggling with questions related to the delivery of cessation medications to Medicaid beneficiaries through quitlines. While the new guideline did not address medications, NAQC was hoping to gather additional information to present in a follow-up webinar that would prove helpful in your efforts.

After discussions with CMS, CDC and several quitline service providers, we have learned that there is incredible variability among states:

• in how their medications benefits are administered;
• reimbursement amounts to pharmacies and providers; and
• rules and requirements for licensed prescribers, drug manufacturers and distributors.

NAQC is concerned that a webinar to talk with you about medications and quitlines would not be helpful at this point considering this variability (unlike the new guideline implemented consistently at the federal level), the multitude of challenges resulting from this variability, and the various ways that states are able to address these challenges due to administrative and budget constraints.

At this time, a webinar focused on cessation medications and Medicaid is on hold. Instead, NAQC will continue to gather information from you and our partners at the federal level to determine the best way(s) to support quitlines’ work to help Medicaid beneficiaries quit tobacco. We will be producing two technical assistance resources (one in February and one in May) and hosting several learning opportunities in the coming year.

Three-question survey on your Medicaid efforts COMING SOON
Understanding the current focus of your Medicaid work and the challenges you are facing allows us to develop technical assistance opportunities and resources that best meet your needs. In an effort to gather this broad view of Medicaid-related efforts happening in states, in mid-November NAQC will release a very brief, three-question survey to state tobacco programs and foundations responsible for funding quitlines.

The results will provide NAQC and our partners with valuable information and allow us to develop meaningful, useful, timely tools and resources to support your work. Additionally, we will be able to "match” states that are in similar developmental phases, facing similar challenges, and looking for peer support and guidance.

We do hope you will complete the survey if the link appears in your inbox!

Announcing new Medicaid Learning Community!
NAQC is hosting a Medicaid Learning Community (MLC)! The MLC will include representatives from 12 states (currently being identified based on readiness and existing infrastructure), with the goal to support shared-learning and dissemination of proven-practices related to effective implementation of the new guideline allowing quitlines as an allowable administrative cost expenditure.

The MLC will be facilitated by Tamatha Thomas-Haase and will meet virtually in monthly "strategy huddles” beginning in mid-November. Results from these strategy huddles will be shared with the entire NAQC membership via the NAQC Listserv each month. Additionally, ongoing dialogue and technical assistance will continue among learning community members via the MLC Listserv.

In an effort to share knowledge, stimulate learning and encourage problem-solving, MLC members will present two webinars to the full NAQC membership over the next 10 months and will conduct a 3-hour workshop at the NAQC Conference in August.

NAQC looks forward to our work with the MLC!

Questions related to NAQC’s Medicaid work can be directed to Tamatha Thomas-Haase at tthomas-haase@naquitline.org.