The Nuts and Bolts of Medicaid Reimbursement for Developmental Screening: Insights from Georgia, Minnesota, and North Carolina
The 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 of standardized developmental screening. Medicaid agencies take different approaches to doing so: setting reimbursement rates for screening; recommending or requiring certain screening tools; specifying when developmental screenings can be administered; and leveraging Medicaid managed care contracts. This brief examines developmental screening reimbursement policies in three states in the top quartile for parent-reported developmental screening rates: Georgia, Minnesota, and North Carolina.
Read the full brief here.
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. 
