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NASHP Fifty State Monitors

  • The Role of Physicians in Children’s Oral Health

    Dental disease is the most common chronic disease among children in the United States. Although Medicaid entitles children to medically necessary dental care under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, many children do not see a dentist until age 3 or later – even though cavity risk factors can be well established before a child’s first birthday and before the first tooth erupts. Untreated dental disease can lead to dietary problems, infection, missed school days, and a lower quality of life.
    December 2008
  • Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women

    Early prenatal care plays a critical role in the health of pregnant women and their babies. Access to early prenatal care can lead to better birth outcomes, healthier babies, and reduced health care costs. Presumptive eligibility in Medicaid has become an important strategy for improving access to prenatal care for low-income pregnant women. Presumptive eligibility is an option that states can use to allow authorized providers to begin treating pregnant women when they first seek prenatal care rather than several weeks later after a final determination has been made regarding their Medicaid eligibility.
    Elena Tyler Broaddus
    December 2008
  • Medicaid 1115 Family Planning Demonstration Waiver Programs

    Twenty-seven states have received Medicaid 1115 demonstration waivers to provide family planning services to individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Two other states have applied for waivers. This updated State Health Policy Monitor examines the status of these waivers, and provides a brief overview of eligibility guidelines and benefits.  Additional NASHP publications examine specific waiver design features, and explore topics such as cost savings and the impact on health outcomes.
    Sara Sills
    Brett Johnson
    November 2008
  • Medicaid Coverage of Adult Dental Services

    This State Health Policy Monitor presents the results of a 2008 survey of state Medicaid programs, which provides an update on the status of states' Medicaid coverage of adult dental services. As of early 2008, 45 states, including the District of Columbia, provided some type of coverage of dental benefits to at least some Medicaid-enrolled adults. However, this coverage varied by state.   This Monitor describes state variation in the types of dental services and degree of coverage offered under Medicaid, as well as differences in total amount, duration, and scope of coverage.  This study shows an increase in 2008 in the number of states that offered dental coverage (in all categories, with no annual maximum) to adults;  it demonstrates how states showed perseverance in continuing coverage for their Medicaid adult population despite a difficult fiscal climate.  
    Mary McGinn-Shapiro
    October 2008
  • SCHIP Delivery Systems

    This State Health Policy Monitor provides an overview of the delivery systems and payment structures states use for their State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP).  States generally choose from among: • Contractor-based managed care delivery, • Primary care case management (PCCM), and • Traditional fee-for-service arrangements. A NASHP survey in 2005 found that approximately 70 percent of all children enrolled in SCHIP were in managed care plans, and nearly 90 percent of SCHIP programs using managed care contracted with one or more plans that primarily serve the commercial market.
    John McInerney
    October 2007
  • Premium Assistance

    This State Health Policy Monitor discusses the use of premium assistance, a program in which federal and state Medicaid and/or SCHIP funds help pay for employer-based or other private health insurance coverage, often using employer or enrollee fees to help pay premium costs. The program is used both as a strategy to cover individuals already eligible for Medicaid and to expand health coverage to the uninsured.   This Monitor briefly reviews federal rules for premium assistance programs under Section 1115 waivers and Section 1906 authority. It then examines key features of premium assistance programs under Section 1115 waiver authority.    
    Dan Belnap
    October 2007
  • SCHIP Dental Benefits

    This State Health Policy Monitor examines the status of SCHIP dental benefits in the 39 states that have such benefits in their programs. The paper discusses the variations among states in covered services, cost sharing, and benefit caps.
    August 2007