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Updates: State Data Chartbook

The Catalyst Center State-at-a-glance Chartbook  is an excellent compilation of data on carefully selected indicators of health coverage and financing for children and youth with special health care needs for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We have updated the data and data sources for the following indicators: low birth weight, special education, household income, unemployment, employer size and the percentage that offer employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid and CHIP income eligibility for children and pregnant women, the numbers of children in foster care and SSI, and the states that provide premium assistance. There are also new data for the health reform indicators, including type of Marketplace and benchmark plan for 2017. These data can help you make the case for financing health care for children and youth with special health care needs i n your state.

Summer reading for the beach or the quiet of your office

If you have Olympics fever, are feeling competitive, and would like to sharpen your health care financing skills for children and youth with special health care needs, here's a list of the top Catalyst Center resources your MCH colleagues, policymakers, family leaders, and other stakeholders are reading:
  • Take a deeper dive into the TEFRA state plan option for financing the care of children with the most complex health needs whose family income is too high for Medicaid.
  • Go the distance and explore ways to level the playing field with Health Care Coverage and Financing for Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Tutorial to Address Inequities.
Other news of note:
The Safety Net's Impact: A State-by-State Look

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has examined the impact of Medicaid, CHIP, SSI, SNAP, and other safety net programs on the health and well-being of children in each state and found a significant return on investment. Children miss fewer days of school, are more likely to finish high school and go to college, and have higher earnings as adults.
In case you missed it:
Webinar Recording: Research and Practice Perspectives - Coordinating Care for Children with Social Complexity

On July 27, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health (LPFCH) and the Catalyst Center hosted this hour-long webinar  about the psychosocial issues and family problems that contribute to the "social complexity" faced by children and youth with chronic or complex medical conditions. Two leaders in the field of social complexity addressed the challenges of providing high-quality, coordinated care for this vulnerable population.

This webinar is a continuation of the work that began with the LPFCH national symposium, "Designing Systems That Work for Children with Complex Health Care Needs ." It builds upon the previous webinar in this series, " Take Action on Care Coordination ."
About the Catalyst Center
The Catalyst Center, the National Center for Health Insurance and Financing for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U41MC13618, $473,000. This information or content and conclusions are those of the Catalyst Center staff and should not be construed as the official position or policy of nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.
LCDR Leticia Manning, MPH, MCHB/HRSA Project  Officer.
Visit our website at catalystctr.org

Boston University.

Catalyst Center,  Center for Advancing Health Policy and Practice
at Boston University School of Public Health
  Contact us at [email protected]