Maximizing Enrollment for Kids, a $15 million initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) launched in June 2008 and directed by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), aims to increase enrollment and retention of eligible children into Medicaid and CHIP programs and to establish and promote best practices among states. In this first year of the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program NASHP collaborated with Health Management Associates (HMA) to conduct a baseline assessment of each grantee states’ policies and processes for enrolling and retaining children in coverage. The findings of these assessments provide a foundation for the work of these states over the next three years to improve enrollment of eligible children. These reports summarize the information gathered from the assessments of all eight states (Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin), organized by themes of states’ work identified through that process, and presented as strengths, challenges and opportunities in each area.
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February 2010
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Tooth decay, while highly preventable, is the most common chronic disease among children, and it disproportionately affects children from families with low incomes. Many state Medicaid agencies are working to increase children’s access to preventive oral health services by reimbursing primary care medical providers for fluoride varnish application, an oral examination or screening, and/or caregiver education about establishing good oral health habits. This report is intended to help states considering adopting similar policies; it draws from the experiences of Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah and Washington to describe some of the major elements of policy design and implementation, as well as lessons learned associated with medical provider reimbursement.
February 2010 -
Between 2007 and 2009, the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), with the support of The Commonwealth Fund worked with the Medicaid staff tasked with administering the EPSDT program (EPSDT coordinators) to support their efforts to improve children's access to health and developmental services as well as the quality of those services. This technical report outlines eight innovative strategies states are using to achieve these goals and highlights three major goals that states were seeking to achieve for their EPSDT program.
February 2010


