Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a grant of nearly $9 million to Massachusetts to improve health care quality and delivery systems for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
The grant is part of $100 million in federal funds awarded to 10 states today as part of the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA). The funds will be awarded over a five-year period. Massachusetts will be awarded $1.5 million in the first year of the five- year grant totaling $8.8 million.
Massachusetts will work together with leading healthcare institutions based in the state to implement and evaluate recommended healthcare quality measures for children. The state will also promote use of a “medical home” initiative for children. A medical home concept is one that generally features care that is coordinated and monitored by a primary care team that refers for specialty services and focuses on preventive measures. Massachusetts will also develop a multi-stakeholder statewide coalition to utilize learning networks and practice coaches to improve communication among primary care, specialty care, and community-based agency providers.
“We all have a stake in the health of our nation’s children,” said Sebelius. “Exploring new technologies and initiatives will help ensure our kids get the high quality care they need and deserve.”
The grants are totally federally funded and are designed help establish a national quality system for children’s health care through Medicaid and CHIP. The money will help states implement and evaluate provider performance measures and utilize health information technologies such as pediatric electronic health records and other quality improvement initiatives.
“These grants will test the most current theories of how to improve the quality of care delivered to children,” said Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “These awards will help create the foundation for a more responsive and effective national framework of high quality healthcare for children.”
More information about children’s health coverage can be found at www.InsureKidsNow.gov.
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.
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