Breaking New Ground: Medicaid Managed Care for Children with Chronic and Complex Health Conditions
Wednesday, October 25th
11:00AM-12:30PM
As of June 2017, 48 states used managed care delivery systems — either managed care organizations, or primary care management models — to provide Medicaid services to children and youth with special health care needs. This session explores three state approaches to providing Medicaid services to children through these systems. The approaches include integrating long-term services and supports for children into Medicaid managed care, creating a specialized managed care program exclusively for this population, and enrolling new populations into managed care.
Speakers:
Thomas Betlach, Director, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)- Cathy Caldwell, Director of the Bureau of Children’s Health Insurance (Alabama’s CHIP), Alabama Department of Public Health
- Icilda Dickerson, Acting Chief, Bureau of Long Term Services and Supports, Ohio Department of Medicaid
- Tammy Whitlock, Director, Division of Integrated Care and Behavioral Health Services, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
This session is sponsored by the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
