Transforming Child Health Care

Oct 2nd, 2009

A report released recently by the Commonwealth Fund concludes that the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 has the potential to transform children’s health care in the United States.

The legislation emphasizes both coverage and quality of care, and provides funding to enroll millions of children who would otherwise be uninsured. Specifically, the legislation establishes mechanisms to finance and improve coverage; to boost participation rates among the lowest-income, Medicaid-eligible children; to develop consistent quality-of-care measures and encourage reporting on these measures; to promote health information technology; and to realign incentives to focus on quality and outcomes.

Much of the legislation's transformative potential lies in the details of implementation, both in the rulemaking at the federal level and in further implementation decisions in the state capitols. Nearly every aspect of the new law depends on current and upcoming federal and state decisions.

The report, Implementation Choices for the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, explores two key areas of the implementation process—outreach and enrollment and quality of care—and makes recommendations for each.

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