Building State Medicaid Capacity to Provide Child Development Services: Early Findings from the ABCD Consortium
This report is a summary of early findings from a four-state consortium dedicated to strengthening the early child health and development services offered through Medicaid. The consortium was the first effort in the Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) initiative. The report outlines how the Consortium states – North Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and Washington – have worked to expand or develop early child health and development services. It examines the various strategies of each state, including how each of them has sought to improve developmental screening for infants and toddlers. It also explores how the four states have begun to address such common issues as services and supports for uninsured parents and the financing mechanisms necessary to support their programs.
| ABCD_early_findings.pdf | 81.8 KB |
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. 
