By Sophia Duong

Research has shown that parents’ behavioral health significantly impacts their children’s development, but for many low-income parents it is difficult to seek behavioral health treatment without health coverage. My home state of North Carolina recognizes the connection between parent and child health, and provides a child-parent treatment approach through Medicaid.

In North Carolina, if a child (anyone up to age 21) enrolled in Medicaid is exhibiting negative behavioral health symptoms as a result of their parent’s behavioral health (either mother or father) and the parent does not have his or her own coverage, then treatment for the child and parent dyad may be covered by Medicaid, according to an interview with the Behavioral Health Clinical Policy Unit of NC Medicaid. While the parent is included in the treatment, it is important to note that the child must be the primary focus of all treatment services if services are billed under the child’s Medicaid number.

Medicaid enrolled children in NC may receive up to six outpatient behavioral health visits without requiring a diagnosis on the claim, which may be an important access point for the dyad. As long as the child meets medical necessity criteria, then the sessions may continue for the dyad without any hard limit.

North Carolina and other states with innovative Medicaid approaches to maternal depression screenings are examples of the burgeoning two-generation approaches in health coverage and access. These states show that there are opportunities to address the health needs of vulnerable parents and children, and Medicaid may be an important starting point.