Spotlight on Children's Health Care Quality and Coverage
<p>The March/April edition of <em>Health Affairs</em>--a special issue focusing on children's health and health policy--features two articles by Commonwealth Fund grantees:<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="4"><tr><td align="left" valign="bottom"><ul><li>In "<a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=27445&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecmwf%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D469557%26%23doc469557">Transforming the U.S. Child Health System</a>," UCLA researchers led by Neal Halfon, M.D., look at the current child health system--fragmented, underperforming, and fraught with inefficiencies--and propose an agenda for radical system change. Instead of the current patchwork system of programs and funding streams, Halfon and colleagues recommend integrated care that takes "a more comprehensive and holistic approach to optimizing health development."<br></li><li>In "<a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=27446&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecmwf%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D470097%26%23doc470097">How Stable Is Medicaid Coverage for Children?</a>" Gerry Lynn Fairbrother, Ph.D., of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and colleagues examine enrollment patterns for children covered by Medicaid. While the program provides a "long-term continuous source of coverage for millions of children," it also creates "a revolving door for others," say the authors. Most Medicaid coverage gaps, though short, are long enough to cause a disruption in children's health and health care. The authors recommend eliminating or simplifying onerous application processes and recertification procedures to help keep children enrolled.</li></ul></td></tr></table></p>
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2007/mar/spotlight-on-childrens-health-care-quality-and-coverage