FEATURED ARTICLE
Lead Screening & Treatment in Medicaid and CHIP
/in Policy CHIP, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Lead Screening and Treatment, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health /by Alexandra KingState Medicaid agencies and CHIP programs play a significant role in their state’s lead screening procedures and provision of treatment services for children. This fact sheet was created following a recent webinar with state officials to share key information. It provides data on lead toxicity in children, the potential health impacts, the federal CMS requirements for screening […]
Selected State Initiatives on Medicaid Financing of Perinatal Regionalization
/in Policy California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, South Carolina Charts Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care /by Alexandra KingToday, nearly 40 states have a system of risk appropriate perinatal care. As the payer for nearly half of all births nationwide, Medicaid is a key partner in the financing of perinatal regionalization. Medicaid covers specific services that can maximize access to risk-appropriate care for mothers and infants, including the coverage of pre- and post-natal […]
Webinar: Measuring Physical and Behavioral Health Integration in the Context of Value-Based Purchasing
/in Policy Webinars Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP StaffCoverage of Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Services
/in Policy South Carolina Blogs, Webinars Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Community Health Workers, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Alexandra KingResearch has shown that a quality home visit by a nurse, social worker, early childhood educator or other trained personnel during pregnancy and early parenting can improve the lives of families and their children both at an early age and well into adolescence and early adulthood. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and […]
Challenges and Opportunities for Pediatric Medical Home Implementation and CYSHCN
/in Policy Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Social Determinants of Health /by Felicia Heider and Barbara WirthNASHP in collaboration with the National Center for Medical Home Implementation developed a new fact sheet addressing challenges and opportunities to provision of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) enrolled in Medicaid managed care. The fact sheet identifies states that leverage Medicaid managed care to advance the pediatric medical home […]
How Health System Transformation Efforts are Improving Access to Care for Children and Youth
/in Policy Massachusetts, New York, Ohio Blogs Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersStates are rapidly undertaking major reforms within their health care delivery systems. Though not often specifically targeting children and youth, these reforms offer opportunities to positively impact how this population accesses care. In a recent NASHP webinar several states described how their health system transformation efforts are doing so. Massachusetts State Innovation Model Grant: Massachusetts […]
Potential Options and Policy Questions for Improving Exchange Coverage for Children
/in Policy Blogs, Reports CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Essential Health Benefits, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by Anita CardwellIf federal funding is not extended for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beyond September 2017, some children may need to transition to exchange coverage. NASHP’s new brief examines potential options and policy questions for improving exchange coverage for children in terms of both affordability and pediatric benefit adequacy. NASHP convened a group of stakeholders including […]
Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the EPSDT Benefit
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Barbara WirthState Medicaid agencies are working to provide comprehensive health care services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), currently the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States for individuals under age 21. This brief highlights information from the 2014 CMS Informational Bulletin providing clarification on services to be provided to Medicaid-eligible children with ASD […]
The Nuts and Bolts of Medicaid Reimbursement for Developmental Screening: Insights from Georgia, Minnesota, and North Carolina
/in Policy Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina Reports CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by Najeia Mention and Felicia HeiderThe early years of a child’s life are critical for growth and development. Identifying developmental delays early and providing appropriate referral and treatment can help prevent more severe issues as well as considerable costs. State Medicaid agencies can play an important role in promoting early identification of developmental delays by reimbursing and tracking the use […]
Pooling and Braiding Funds for Health-Related Social Needs: Lessons from Virginia’s Children’s Services Act
/in Policy Virginia Reports Blending and Braiding Funding, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersLow-income and at-risk populations often need services and supports outside the scope of a single state agency in order to live productive, healthy lives. State health policymakers seeking to combine funding streams to meet health-related social needs could benefit from learning about Virginia’s long-term experience pooling funds to meet the needs of at-risk youth and families through its […]

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. 
























































































































































Through Coordination and Investment, Arizona Substantially Increases Access to School-Based Behavioral Health Services
/in COVID-19 State Action Center, Policy Arizona Blogs, Featured News Home Back to School, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, COVID-19, EPSDT, Health Equity, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Gia GouldBy leveraging federal Medicaid funding and state investment while simultaneously clarifying complex billing procedures and enhancing engagement with providers, Arizona has made remarkable progress in increasing student access to critical school-based behavioral health services. Arizona’s efforts to improve school behavioral health services began in 2018 when its state legislature allocated $3 million from the state’s […]