- ACA Implementation & State Health Reform
- Coverage and Access
- Federal/State Issues
- Medicaid and CHIP
- Population and Public Health
- Providers and Services
- Acute Care
- Assisted Living
- Behavioral Health
- Child Development Services
- Chronic Care Management
- Community Health Centers
- Developmental Screening
- Early Childhood Services
- EPSDT
- Family Planning
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Home & Community Based Services
- Long Term Services & Supports
- Medical Homes & Health Homes
- Mental Health
- Nursing Homes
- Oral Health
- Preventive Care
- Primary Care
- Safety Net Providers
- Quality, Cost, and Health System Performance
- ACOs
- Adverse Event Reporting
- Care Transitions
- Comparative Effectiveness
- Cost Sharing
- Delivery System Reform
- Fraud and Abuse
- Health Care Workforce
- Health Information Technology
- Managed Care
- Medical Homes & Health Homes
- Medical Malpractice
- Patient Safety
- Payment Reform
- Performance Measurement
- Provider Payment Policy
- Quality Oversight
- Specific Populations
- Adolescents
- Childless Adults
- Children
- Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Dual Eligibles
- Elders
- Families
- Low Income People
- Parents
- People with Chronic Conditions
- People with Developmental Disabilities
- Transitional Youth
- Vulnerable Populations
- Young Adults
- Youth
- Youth in Foster Care System
- Youth in Juvenile Justice System
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Improving EPSDT Periodicity Schedules to Promote Healthy Development
Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit is comprehensively designed to promote children’s healthy development. EPSDT includes outreach, comprehensive well-child visits (referred to as EPSDT screens), treatment and case management. In recent years states have recognized that it is important to identify and treat developmental delays early in a child’s life. EPSDT screens are designed to identify any physical, developmental, oral or mental health condition a child may have, as well as provide parents (and adolescents) with information to help them promote the child’s optimal development. This State Health Policy Briefing summarizes findings from a review of state websites and an informal survey of state EPSDT Coordinators designed to identify the extent to which states were revising EPSDT schedules to adopt improved standards of care.October 2009» -
Measurement to Support Effective Identification of Children at Risk for Developmental Delay
This State Health Policy Briefing is the third in a series examining the efforts of 19 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to improve identification of children with or at risk for developmental delay. For 15 months, ending in July 2008, these states and territories worked together, with the support of NASHP and The Commonwealth Fund, to make policy and practice changes that supported primary care providers’ use of a validated developmental screening tool as part of well child care. Screening Academy members received an intensive program of technical assistance during these 15 months, including assistance to support measurement. This briefing examines the efforts of the 21 members to produce meaningful data to make the case for change, develop training targeted to primary care provider needs, and assess whether changes produced the intended effect. By the end of these 15 months:April 2009 -
State Policy Improvements that Support Effective Identification of Children At Risk for Developmental Delay
The success of the ABCD Initiative provides lessons for states and other entities wishing to improve the quality of health care while controlling costs and improving efficiency. Identifying and implementing key processes to improve state policies affecting screening in primary care are the focus of this brief. ABCD states changed state statutes, state regulations, contracts, provider manuals, Web sites, and other documents that define state policies designed to improve the delivery of child development services.March 2009 -
State Strategies that Support Effective Identification of Children At-Risk for Developmental Delay
In 2007, 19 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia came together to form the Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) Screening Academy. They worked, with the support of NASHP, to improve identification of children with or at risk for or with developmental delays. Screening Academy members worked to make both policy and practice changes to support the use of a standardized developmental screening tool as part of regular well-child care. This second in a series of state health policy briefings reports on their efforts to support practice change. Examination of their efforts found that these states used a variety of strategies to support practice change. While states vary in their approach, a consistent theme is collaboration between state agencies and primary care providers delivering preventive services.March 2009 -
State Policy Improvements that Support Effective Identification of Children At-Risk for Developmental Delay
The success of the ABCD Initiative provides lessons for states and other entities wishing to improve the quality of health care while controlling costs and improving efficiency. Identifying and implementing key processes to improve state policies affecting screening in primary care are the focus of this brief. ABCD states changed state statutes, state regulations, contracts, provider manuals, Web sites, and other documents that define state policies designed to improve the delivery of child development services.March 2009 -
ABCD Screening Academy Progress Report: Improving the Identification of Young Children At-Risk for Developmental Delay
Since 2000, the Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) Initiative has shown that states can take action to facilitate pediatric provider use of a developmental screening tool and that doing so is an important first step in improving the delivery of child development services. The Initiative's partners - NASHP and The Commonwealth Fund - have for the past 18 months conducted the ABCD Screening Academy. Participating states have been working together to identify and implement the policies and practices that move the use of standardized developmental screening tools as part of well-child care from a best practice to a standard practice. This new publication summarizes the progress of ABCD Screening Academy participating states toward policy and practice improvement during the first phase of the project.September 2008» -
State Policy Options to Improve Delivery of Child Development Services: Strategies from the Eight ABCD States
Since 2000, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and The Commonwealth Fund have conducted two state learning consortia dedicated to improving the delivery of child development services to young children who are Medicaid beneficiaries. The work of the states involved in the Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) initiative has shown that state policies, especially Medicaid policies, can effectively promote improvements in the quality of preventive and developmental services provided to young children. This report provides a starting point for states seeking to identify and implement policy improvements to achieve two main objectives:December 2006 -
Key Measurement Issues in Screening, Referral, and Follow-Up Care for Young Children’s Social and Emotional Development
This report is designed to assist states in assessing the effectiveness of their efforts to strengthen mental health services for very young children. The paper is an outgrowth of the work conducted by the five states involved in the ABCD II Consortium, an initiative of NASHP and The Commonwealth Fund that seeks to improve the delivery of services needed by very young children to ensure their healthy mental development. All five states needed reliable and valid measures to inform implementation efforts and ongoing program evaluation.April 2005 -
Promoting Young Children’s Healthy Mental Development
This brief summarizes presentations made at NASHP’s 2004 annual state health policy conference during a session on “Promoting Young Children’s Healthy Mental Development.” The session focused on the evidence base, state program highlights, a discussion of the ABCD program, and ways to use the Medicaid program to better support early childhood social and emotional development.November 2004» -
Screening for Behavioral Developmental Problems: Issues, Obstacles, and Opportunities for Change
This paper examines issues related to screening children for developmental disabilities and problems. It examines the ways in which screening tools differ from one another and the challenges that are often faced by those working to integrate screening tools in medical practices. The paper is designed to provide states with a framework for evaluating developmental screening tools for young children so that state officials are equipped to make informed decisions and to work with pediatricians, parents, and other stakeholders in strengthening services to young children. The paper also includes summary information on 17 different tools.August 2004»
