The Coral Blog
Expert perspectives on policy, performance, and system change.
The Coral Blog is where we break down what’s happening in health care and what it means for leaders working to improve outcomes and affordability. Drawing from our cross-sector experience, we offer commentary that connects the dots between regulation, strategy, and operations.
CMS Announces New Preventive Health Model: What You Need to Know About MAHA ELEVATE
CMS has announced the MAHA ELEVATE (Make America Healthy Again: Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value-based Approaches Through Evidence) Model, a new voluntary initiative aimed at transforming how Original Medicare approaches chronic disease prevention and whole-person wellness.
Key Focus Areas in State Rural Health Transformation Program Initiatives
After analyzing 37 state Rural Health Transformation Program applications that are now publicly available, Coral has identified emerging models, unexpected approaches, and promising experiments that signal where rural health care is headed. Our National Themes and State Initiative Tracker includes this analysis, a state-by-state initiative matrix, and an inventory of links to public applications.
Reading Between the Lines: What Paragon’s Reform Agenda Signals for the Innovation Center
A new report from the Paragon Institute, "How to Reform the CMS Innovation Center with a Choice and Competition Approach," offers a view into how the Trump administration may be thinking about the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Beyond its critique of the past decade of spending and model design, the report reads like a framework for where CMMI may be headed and, in many ways, aligns with what we're already seeing emerge from the Innovation Center.
3 Key Takeaways from the Heartland Conference on Health Equity & Patient-Centered Care
The Heartland Conference on Health Equity and Patient-Centered Care brought together over 300 participants from across the Midwest to tackle the complex challenge of bridging urban and rural health equity. Three critical insights emerged that will reshape how organizations approach equity initiatives in today's political environment.
Three Key Takeaways from the CMS Quality Conference
The prominence of program integrity discussions at this year's CMS Quality Conference signals a fundamental shift in how this administration is framing health care policy. Alongside the traditional focus areas of prevention, digital transformation, value-based care, and vulnerable populations, the emphasis on eliminating waste has become the connecting thread across all initiatives.
Recognizing and Supporting Informal Caregivers: A Key to a More Sustainable Health System
As the U.S. population ages rapidly, with 82 million Americans projected to be over 65 by 2050, the demand for long-term services and supports is growing. Yet, the formal caregiving workforce alone can't meet this need. Increasingly, family members and friends are stepping in to serve as informal caregivers to help older adults remain in their homes and communities.