May 2002
Dear Maternal and Child Health Advocate:
Enclosed is a copy of EPSDT: Early Periodic Screening Detection and Treatment: A Snapshot of Service Utilization by Health Plan For 1999 as compiled by the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health. The report serves as a tool for policy discussion between child health advocates, consumers, health plans, and decisionmakers regarding EPSDT utilization.
EPSDT is a preventative health program established in 1967 for children receiving
Medicaid. This program screens Medicaid children for vision, hearing, developmental,
lead, and other potential health problems to ensure they have the opportunity
to grow up healthy and happy. Unfortunately,
The report includes a brief background on the EPSDT program, describes the performance of Qualified Health Plans, and proposes policy recommendations to improve the program. Graphs showing each plan’s performance for all EPSDT service components and performance across all plans for key EPSDT service components such as vision, hearing, and lead screens, are included in this report and our website at www.mcmch.com.
MCMCH has taken several steps to advocate for EPSDT quality and utilization. MCMCH has drafted boilerplate language for the DCH budget that calls upon Qualified Health Plans to make incremental steps to improve the utilization of EPSDT on behalf of Medicaid eligible children.
How can the EPSDT report be used to make a difference for Medicaid eligible kids?
¨ Meet with health care plans, health care providers, and local partners such as Head Start to share the data on how preventative health care is being delivered to children in your community.
¨ Meet with state and local policymakers to stress the need for more attention and oversight regarding children’s health.
¨ Share the report with the media to raise awareness that children are not receiving needed preventative health care.
¨ Use with other community and child health advocacy networks to set priorities for preventative health. For example, data in the report shows that most children do not receive regular dental care, and older children receive the least amount of preventative services overall. How can this be addressed locally?
MCMCH can offer community advocacy support regarding EPSDT including:
¨ Providing information on media and marketing strategies
¨ Facilitating community priorities and planning
¨ Presenting information about policy advocacy strategies
¨ Raising public awareness through speakers, conferences, etc.
¨ Connecting you with local health plans
Contact Michele Strasz, Director of Community Outreach at
517-482-5807 or mtstrasz@aol.com for assistance. For the complete report and other resources concerning maternal and child health, see the MCMCH website at www.mcmch.com.
Sincerely,
Paul Shaheen
Executive Director
TO: MCMCH Board members and Networks
FROM: Paul Shaheen and Michele Strasz
DATE: May 2002
RE: EPSDT External Quality Review- Local advocacy and dialogue with health plans
Enclosed is MCMCH’s report: EPSDT: Early Periodic Screening Detection and Treatment: A Snapshot of Service Utilization by Health Plan For 1999. This report serves as a tool for policy discussion between child health advocates, consumers, health plans, and decisionmakers regarding EPSDT utilization.
EPSDT is a preventative health program established in 1967 for children receiving
Medicaid. This program screens Medicaid children for vision, hearing, developmental,
lead, and other potential health problems to ensure they have the opportunity
to grow up healthy and happy. Unfortunately,
The report includes a brief background on the EPSDT program, describes the performance of Qualified Health Plans, and proposes policy recommendations to improve the program. Graphs showing each plan’s performance for all EPSDT service components and performance across all plans for key EPSDT service components such as vision, hearing, and lead screens, are included in this report and our website at www.mcmch.com.
MCMCH has taken several steps to advocate for EPSDT quality and utilization. MCMCH has drafted boilerplate language for the DCH budget that calls upon Qualified Health Plans to make incremental steps to improve the utilization of EPSDT on behalf of Medicaid eligible children.
How can the EPSDT report be used to make a difference for Medicaid eligible kids?
¨ Meet with health care plans, health care providers, and local partners such as Head Start to share the data on how well preventative health care is being delivered in your community.
¨ Meet with state and local policymakers to stress the need for more attention and oversight regarding children’s health.
¨ Share the report with the media to raise awareness that children are not receiving needed preventative health care.
¨ Use with other community and child health advocacy networks to set priorities for preventative health. For example, data in the report shows that most children do not receive regular dental care, and older children receive the least amount of preventative services overall. How can this be addressed locally?
MCMCH can offer community advocacy support regarding EPSDT including:
¨ Providing information on media and marketing strategies
¨ Facilitating community priorities and planning
¨ Presenting information about policy advocacy strategies
¨ Raising public awareness through speakers, conferences, etc.
¨ Connecting you with local health plans
Contact Michele Strasz, Director of Community Outreach at 517-482-5807 or mtstrasz@aol.com for assistance. For the complete report and other resources concerning maternal and child health, see the MCMCH website at www.mcmch.com.