Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Child Health Information Project August 22, 2003

Aug 24, 2003

Child Health Information Project
Children's Defense Fund
August 22, 2003
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In this issue:

*BRIEF ON MEDICAID AND CHIP AVAILABLE

*WEBCAST DISCUSSION ON EPSDT
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**The Child Health Information Project will not be published next week.
Please look for it Friday, September 5, 2003. Thank you.**
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BRIEF ON MEDICAID AND CHIP AVAILABLE

Covering Kids and Families has issued a brief titled "Maintaining the
Gains: The Importance of Preserving Coverage in Medicaid and SCHIP."
This brief examines "why it is important to maintain the gains that
have
been made over the past several years, and build on the improvements in
Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) coverage
for children and families." Making enrollment in SCHIP and Medicaid
easier by expanding outreach efforts, coordinating outreach with
programs such as the School Lunch program and simplifying applications
has allowed more families to enroll in these programs.

Some of the studies cited in the brief show that public coverage
matters for children and families because it:

*Promotes Access to Care: Previously uninsured children who become
enrolled in Medicaid have fewer unmet needs and fewer delays in getting
needed care.

*Increases Use of Necessary and Appropriate Care: Medicaid reduces the
use of emergency rooms and reduces the rate of preventable
hospitalizations.

*Promotes Health and Improves Health Outcomes: Medicaid expansions have
been associated with reductions in infant mortality rates.

"Maintaining the Gains: The Importance of Preserving Coverage in
Medicaid and SCHIP" is available at
http://coveringkidsandfamilies.org/ckf/files/maintaining_the_gains.pdf
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WEBCAST DISCUSSION ON EPSDT

On September 10, 2003 the Maternal and Child Health Bureau will sponsor
a webcast discussion, titled "Enhancing Partnerships Between Title V,
Medicaid, and Local Health Departments Through EPSDT." The discussion
will feature multiple presenters from federal, state and local agencies
and will focus on experiences and recommendations for improving Early
and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit rates
through state and local partnerships. The webcast will combine
video/audio broadcasting with PowerPoint slides and participants will
be
able to ask the presenters questions.

The Webcast requires prior online registration. The agenda and
information on how to register are available at
www.mchcom.com/epsdt_frame.htm. An archived version will be
available a week following the live event.
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