Medicaid Agency-State Public University Partnership: The Value Proposition for Medicaid Agencies State Medicaid Agencies: Why Partner with a Public University? In many states, Medicaid agencies are partnering with Expertise in Data Science and Advanced Analytics. research centers at public universities to conduct data- Universities are at the forefront of innovation in data sci- driven policy analysis and support program development, ence. Quantitative social scientists with strong analytic monitoring, and evaluation. These state–university and technical skills can provide expertise in advanced partnerships offer unique advantages as states strive to analytics and predictive modeling that can inform pro- serve as laboratories of policy innovation and address gram development and operations and guide decisions the many challenges facing Medicaid programs today, about allocation of scarce resources. Universities can including the opioid crisis and coronavirus pandemic. also help Medicaid agencies design state-of-the-art IT Public universities can offer state agencies in-depth infrastructure that supports advanced analytics and data research and policy expertise in medicine, public health, linkages across state agencies. public policy, data science, economics, and other Dependability and Deep Knowledge. Public university disciplines. research centers offer stability during changes in state A Shared Vision and Trusted Relationship. Public uni- administrations. Many university faculty and staff en- versities can be trusted partners for Medicaid agencies. gaged in state agency partnerships have been doing this They embrace public service as an integral component work for many years and possess extensive institutional of their mission along with research and education. knowledge. Health-focused research centers and Medicaid agencies Understanding of State Health Policy and Agency often share a commitment to achieving the triple aim of Needs. University researchers engaged in state agen- better care, improved health, and lower costs; ensuring cy partnerships understand how to balance the needs analytic integrity; and being a responsible steward of of state agencies with academic rigor. They regularly state data and other resources. engage with state and local stakeholders and understand Expedient and Cost-Effective Contracting. In most the state health policy landscape. State agencies pose states, state agencies and public universities can enter the research questions and collaboratively work with uni- into non-competitive interagency agreements. Public versity researchers to ensure questions are addressed to universities can also often offer a lower cost structure expeditiously inform policymaking. than private sector contractors. Infrastructure and Other Resources. Public universities Federal Medicaid Match. State agencies can take advan- offer expertise in IT infrastructure building, data securi- tage of the federal Medicaid match when partnering with ty, and workforce training. Many are involved in commu- state universities, matching state dollars with federal nity engagement activities addressing population health, dollars either through project-specific claiming or by violence prevention, and social justice issues that affect including the interagency agreement with the university Medicaid beneficiaries. as a line item in the Medicaid administrative budget. Milbank Memorial Fund • www.milbank.org 1 WHAT IS THE STATE-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP About AcademyHealth LEARNING NETWORK (SUPLN)? AcademyHealth is a SUPLN was established in 2014 to support the growing network of state–university leading national, non- partnerships. Currently, Medicaid agencies in 25 states have active partnerships partisan organization with 30 public universities. AcademyHealth's SUPLN is managed by their serving the fields of Evidence-Informed State Health Policy Institute whose collective mission health services and policy research and includes working with state health policymakers and researchers to advance the professionals health by mov-ing evidence into action. SUPLN has four important functions. who produce and use 1. Technical Assistance to New Partnerships. SUPLN provides consultation to this important work. new and developing partnerships on relationship building, establishment of Learn more at www. interagency agreements, and accessing federal Medicaid matching support for academyhealth.org. projects undertaken by the state–university partnership. 2. Information Sharing and Professional Development. SUPLN offers a forum for the exchange of state and federal health policy news and research ideas and encourages the sharing of best practices and lessons learned. SUPLN convenes SUPLN's Medicaid a two-day annual meeting for members, distributes monthly newsletters, and Outcomes Distributed hosts periodic webinars and collaboration calls. Research Network 3. Rapid Response Networking. SUPLN members have ready access to a trusted, (MODRN) was launched in 2017. responsive network of state agency staff and university researchers to inquire MODRN uses a about policies and programs, share insights, and exchange information. common data model Members have readily available answers to that question frequently posed by and standard analytic state policymakers: What are other states doing? code to produce and aggregate state 4. Medicaid Research Partnerships. SUPLN works with federal funding agencies analyses of Medicaid and private foundations, state agency staff, and university researchers to develop data. MODRN's first multistate Medicaid research initiatives that address policy-relevant questions. project-funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse-is focusing on the quality and outcomes of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment among Medicaid beneficiaries in 13 states. SUPLN Partnership For more information, please visit the SUPLN website. As of July 2020, the Learning Network has 30 active partnerships in 25 states. Milbank Memorial Fund • www.milbank.org 2