Welcome to the Special Needs Plans "Go-To" Place

The National Health Policy Group (NHPG) is a leading health care policy and consulting group with a special focus on improving policy and practice for health plans and providers that serve high-risk Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. NHPG provides strategic planning and government relations services to health plans and providers, trade associations, health care coalitions, state agencies and other stakeholders in the areas of specialty care for high-risk beneficiaries.


Our Mission 

Our mission is to provide you with the latest information on Special Needs Plans (SNPs) policy, with access to key government sites and advocacy materials, which is why we established The SNP Alliance in 2003. The SNP Alliance is a special coalition of leading plans and providers serving special needs beneficiaries. By focusing our energies on refining risk-adjusted payment methods for high-risk beneficiaries, advancing the integration of Medicare and Medicaid, improving performance measurement, and demonstrating the added value of Special Needs Plans through legislative and regulatory advocacy, we hope to better serve America's most vulnerable, highest-cost and fastest-growing group of beneficiaries — frail elders, adults with disabilities and other persons with multiple, complex care needs. (Go to "About SNPs" for more information on Special Needs Plans and click here for more SNP Alliance more policy information.)

For further information on NHPG and the SNP Alliance or to share comments about what information and web-based services would be most helpful to you, please contact us.

 

Mark Your Calendars

4th Annual SNP Leadership Forum: Defining the Gold Standard for Specialty Care

This invitational meeting will be held on October 21-22, 2008 at the Westin City Center in Washington, DC.

Click here for the latest information on this important two-day policy forum, or contact us for more information.
 

 

In the News

Congress Passes Landmark Medicare Bill Extending SNPs

Congress voted to override the President’s veto of H.R. 6331 , The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, on Tuesday, July 15 by a vote of 383-41 in the House and 70-26 in the Senate.  Public Law 110-275 will:Additional resources regarding SNP legislation available on this side include: 

  • Stabilize and reauthorize special needs plans (SNPs) through 2010;
  • Strengthen targeting of high-risk beneficiaries and specialty models of care; and
  • Ensure better coordination of Medicare and Medicaid benefits for dually eligible beneficiaries.

“H.R. 6331 represents watershed legislation with respect to Medicare specialty care,” explains Rich Bringewatt, chair of The SNP Alliance. “ It will advance the long-term viability of Special Needs Plans and pave the way for the replication of these important models of care for the neediest Medicare beneficiaries by clarifying Congressional intent regarding SNP targeting and specialization for high-risk beneficiaries.