The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved a State Plan Amendment (SPA) for Hawaii that will pave the way for palliative care coverage through Medicaid.
While several other states have Medicaid programs that cover palliative care, Hawaii is the first to request SPA approval, part of Medicaid’s process for adding new benefits. The SPA defines palliative care as a preventive service, establishes a payment methodology and sets quality reporting standards, according to the Office of Hawaii Gov. Dr. Josh Green (D).
“After several years of hard work and collaboration with many community members and experts in the field, I am proud to announce that Med-QUEST is the first Medicaid program in the country to get this benefit approved,” Green said in a statement. “This will greatly improve the quality of life and health outcomes for thousands of people who face serious medical conditions in our state. Hawaii continues to lead the nation in innovations in health and health care.”
Med-QUEST is the name of the state’s Medicaid program.
More than 15 states have established Medicaid palliative programs, according to Torrie Fields, CEO and Founder, TFA Analytics. “These include states with some of the largest growing seriously ill populations, such as California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Oregon and Washington, among others,” according to the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).
A common thread among state palliative Medicaid programs is an interdisciplinary scope of services that addresses physical, mental and other types of care for seriously ill populations, NASHP reported.
“Now, fewer people who face serious illness will suffer, because community palliative care is now covered under Medicaid,” said Judy Mohr Peterson, Med-QUEST division administrator, in a statement.
