Early Childhood
A child’s brain develops most rapidly in the earliest years of life, building the foundation for learning, behavior and health. Medicaid, along with CHIP, serves four out of five young children in low-income families, serving as a logical place to reach these children and their families before kindergarten. Prioritizing young children and their families in Medicaid through cross-sector, innovative practice change has the potential to improve their lifetime trajectories, overall population health and long-run savings. Through blog posts, papers, and resources, CCF seeks to highlight ways Medicaid can do more to set our nation’s youngest children on a path of healthy physical, social, and emotional development.
States Can Help Address the Child Care Crisis by Prioritizing Health Coverage
Federal and state lawmakers are seeking policy solutions to address the child care crisis that was exacerbated by the pandemic. Workforce challenges loom large, with necessary attention to boost wages for the child care professionals who play a role in not only helping parents work, but also promoting early childhood development. But states can also […]
State Opportunities to Improve Health Care Coverage for Child Care Professionals
States are grappling with how to more effectively support their child care workforce, including ensuring providers have access to affordable health care. Just like parents, frontline early education professionals are better able to support children in their care when they are healthy. A healthy caregiver is especially important for young children because brain development in […]
Oregon Leads the Nation By Covering Children in Medicaid from Birth to Kindergarten – Which State Will Be Next??
The Biden Administration announced today that it will approve Oregon’s request to provide continuous Medicaid coverage to children from birth through age five and for two years for all Oregonians enrolled in Medicaid age six and up. This use of Section 1115 authority is precisely what Medicaid demonstrations are for — as we and colleagues […]
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Provision Directs CMS to Review State EPSDT Implementation, including in Managed Care
Last month my colleague Anne Dwyer summarized the now-enacted Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and its provisions with potential to boost access to mental health services for children and families. One we will be watching closely: a review of state Medicaid EPSDT requirements, services, and practices. Long time Say Ahhh! Readers know that Medicaid’s Early Periodic […]
Oregon’s Waiver Proposal: Continuous Eligibility for Young Children as a School Readiness Tool, But Why Not EPSDT?
As my colleagues blogged last week, Oregon released its 1115 waiver proposal for state public comment, which included precedent-setting concerns and innovations. We were pleased to see multi-year continuous eligibility included—up to five years for children under age 6, and two years for ages 6 and older. While a few states are in various stages […]
Build Back Better Act: Health Coverage Provisions Explained
On November 19, 2021, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, the budget reconciliation bill, with the Senate expected to consider the legislation in coming weeks. The Build Back Better Act includes numerous provisions that would dramatically strengthen and expand both public and private health insurance coverage. Some of the new provisions […]