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.

Three Things States Should Know Before Applying for CMMI’s Innovation in Behavioral Health Model
Andrew Petee Andrew Petee

Three Things States Should Know Before Applying for CMMI’s Innovation in Behavioral Health Model

In January 2024, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation announced the Innovation in Behavioral Health model, an eight-year initiative that funds states to encourage behavioral health providers to integrate physical and behavioral health care within a behavioral health setting for adults with moderate to severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders.

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The Rural Health Crisis Requires More Than Money—It Demands Strategy 
Rural Health Andrew Petee Rural Health Andrew Petee

The Rural Health Crisis Requires More Than Money—It Demands Strategy 

Sixty million Americans depend on rural hospitals and clinics for their care, yet these facilities are disappearing at an alarming rate. Emergency funding has repeatedly failed to stop the bleeding because it treats symptoms, not causes. The new $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program offers states and the people who depend on care in rural communities an unprecedented chance to fundamentally reimagine how rural care works.

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