Increase Awareness of EPSDT, Immunizations Requirement and Improve Reporting by Providers

The department is pursuing a number of initiatives to increase the EPSDT participation of Medicaid eligible children.

Of special importance to greater participation is integration of EPSDT within local department operations. To the fullest extent possible, local offices are asked to inform families about the availability and benefits of EPSDT, to encourage participation, and to advise where the services may be obtained. Special efforts are being made to include foster care and children's protective services cases in the program. The Social Contract is another local DSS office opportunity to "market" the EPSDT program to families while recognizing participation as one way to fulfill Social Contract responsibilities. The possibility of piloting new initiatives in several local offices will be explored.

Obtaining the full involvement of managed care providers is another approach which the department is pursuing to increase EPSDT participation. The department is working with health maintenance organizations, physician sponsors, and clinic plans to obtain all the EPSDT and immunizations services possible from these providers. Special outreach assistance is being given to some managed care providers, and this assistance will be extended to more providers in 1994. The concept of a managed care medical home including preventive care is one which the department wishes to have fully implemented with these providers. Since the number of children enrolled in managed care programs is steadily increasing, this approach offers great opportunity to improve EPSDT performance.

In addition to our ongoing partnership with the Department of Health and additional opportunity for increasing EPSDT participation is to link the service to the places where the children are, e.g., schools, churches, Head Start programs, school-based clinics. These sites might be locations for service delivery and/or places to provide outreach and market the program. New outreach funding has been identified to assist some of these locations and will be used in 1994.