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What have we done for you lately?
Updated TEFRA State Plan Option Chart

The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) of 1982 includes an option for states to create an additional pathway to Medicaid for children, birth to age 18: 
  • Who have family incomes that are too high to qualify for Medicaid, and 
  • Whose medical, mental, and emotional health needs are described by the childhood listing of impairments on the Social Security website, and 
  • Who also require an institutional level of care, but can be cared for at home, rather than in an institution.
Note: The definition of an "institutional level of care," varies from state to state. 

We have updated the TEFRA State Plan Option Chart on our website and included links where you can learn more about this option in your state. 
Other news of note:
Attend Our Workshop at the AMCHP Conference 

In keeping with the theme of this year's AMCHP conference, Engagement with Intention: Inclusivity, Diversity, and non-Traditional Partnerships, the Catalyst Center will be presenting a workshop titled Family Partnerships to Address Inequities in Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care among Children with Special Health Care Needs. The workshop will provide an overview of our policy tutorial, Health Care Coverage and Financing for Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Tutorial to Address Inequities, with an emphasis on partnerships with family leaders who are representative of the communities they serve. A prominent family leader will share an example of an innovative partnership that involves diverse family leaders working in health care facilities to provide advocacy and outreach to families of CSHCN that is culturally competent and representative of the lived experiences of those families. The workshop (H2), part of the CYSHCN track, is scheduled for Monday, March 6 at 4:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you in Kansas City, MO!
In case you missed it:
Parity Compliance Toolkit: Applying Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Requirements to Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs 

In March 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity rule for Medicaid and CHIP. To support states in their efforts to ensure compliance with the rule, CMS has issued a Parity Compliance Toolkit.
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.