Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This small pamphlet summarizes new knowledge about infant and toddler development and its impact on public policy. New research findings and clinical experience can be used to increase the effectiveness of legislation affecting children and families, programs for health screening, disease prevention and related issues for families, and public and private policies toward parents in the workplace.

Keywords: Family support services, Health policy, Infant health services, Policy development

Annotation: This paper presents an analytical method using rudimentary Boole-Schroder algebra for solving decision making problems in the establishment of policies and implementation of procedures. This paper is part of the documentation and assessment of the effect of P.L. 89-97, Title V. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Adolescent health programs, Child health programs, Children and Youth Projects, Federal MCH programs, Policy analysis, Policy development

Annotation: This chapter of the Indian Health Manual provides an introduction to the Indian Health Service Dental Program. It discusses program organization, operations, resources, and reporting.

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Keywords: Administrative policy, Federal agencies, Manuals, Oral health, Standards

Annotation: This report identifies gaps, opportunities, and alignment for reforms to create a better postpartum maternal health care experience.

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Keywords: Data analysis, Mental health, Policy development, Postpartum care, Pregnancy loss, Quality improvement

Annotation: This report examines the role of the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant in addressing the maternal and infant health crisis and related racial and ethnic disparities in the United States. It analyzes fiscal investments for pregnant women and infants across 59 states and territories, comparing federal and non-federal funding ratios and the extent of state matching contributions. The document includes a substantial discussion of methodology and findings linking state funding levels to maternal and infant mortality rates. Recommendations for federal and state-level policy changes are provided, such as designating specific funding percentages for the pregnant and infant population and adopting a maternal and infant health performance measure bundle. Appendices include substantial tables detailing state-specific funding percentages and mortality data.

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Keywords: Data, Funding, Infant health, Infant mortality, Maternal health, Maternal mortality, Measures, Policy, Policy development, Social Security, Title V, State MCH programs, Statistics, Title V programs

Annotation: This flyer provides information about state oral health programs (SOHPs). It explains what SOHPs are and what they do and discusses their impact on statewide oral health. It also offers information on how SOHPs implement and advance oral health surveillance and planning, prevention of oral disease among children, community protection (monitoring and promoting water fluoridation), workforce support, policies that promote safety and quality, and public education. Also discussed are why oral health matters and the importance of strong partnerships to improve oral health.

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Keywords: Collaboration, Community health, Fluoride, Oral health, Prevention, Programs, Public education, Public policy, Safety, Surveillance

Annotation: This updated report offers information about oral health for women during the perinatal period and discusses problems related to women's oral health and their ability to access oral health care during this period. A strategic framework for improving perinatal oral health, based on core public health activities, is presented, and a policy statement is included.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Infant health, Oral health, Perinatal care, Pregnant women, Prevention, Public policy , Treatment

Annotation: This article from Grantmakers In Health (GIH) describes a collaborative effort by funders to address gaps in postpartum care following the extension of Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months after birth. The piece discusses how a workgroup of funders—including Pritzker Children's Initiative, Merck for Mothers, and Community Health Acceleration Partnership—formed in 2023 to identify opportunities for improving postpartum care systems. The article includes a visual diagram that illustrates the multi-layered challenges in postpartum care on three levels: individual, community, and system. This concentric circle diagram shows how issues such as standards of care, access to quality care, care fragmentation, and policy misalignment (at the system level) interact with community-level challenges like administrative burden and workforce shortages, as well as individual-level factors including awareness of needs, social and economic barriers, and fear of medical debt. Through stakeholder interviews, the workgroup discovered significant fragmentation of services and the absence of comprehensive care standards beyond the traditional six-week postpartum period. In response, the funders issued a request for proposals aimed at creating a centralized hub to catalog and connect postpartum care initiatives, with the goal of developing comprehensive standards and addressing what they term the "postpartum cliff."

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Keywords: Access to healthcare, Barriers, Collaboration, Funding, Health care reform, Library collection development, Medicaid, Policy, Postpartum care, Requests for proposals, Service delivery systems, Standards

Annotation: This research report examines the potential impacts of eliminating enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid expansion, focusing on state budget implications and health coverage consequences. It presents data showing that if enhanced FMAP were eliminated in 2026, the 41 expansion states would need to increase spending on acute care for the nonelderly by an average of 25.6 percent to maintain current eligibility levels. If all states dropped Medicaid expansion in response, Medicaid enrollment would decline by 15.9 million people, with 10.8 million becoming uninsured. The report describes how Medicaid expansion has benefited enrollees through improved health care access and financial security, while also providing fiscal benefits to states through additional savings and revenue. Using the Urban Institute's Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model, the analysis examines various scenarios of state responses and includes detailed data tables showing state-by-state impacts on coverage and spending.

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Keywords: Financing, Health care reform, Health insurance, Health policy, Medicaid, State aid

Annotation: This brief provides information on expanding the role of dental hygienists in New York to improve access to oral health care in the state. Topics include the role of dental hygienists in providing oral health care, expanding the types of care that dental hygienists can provide, and policy recommendations.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Dental hygienists, New York, Oral health, Policy development, State information

Annotation: This report presents a roadmap of California's Birthing Care Pathway initiative launched by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to address maternal health disparities and improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members. It describes the current state of maternal health in California, highlighting concerning trends in pregnancy-related mortality and severe maternal morbidity with significant racial disparities affecting Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals. The document outlines DHCS' strategic approach to improve maternal health through policy solutions developed with input from diverse stakeholders, including Medi-Cal members. Key components include strengthening provider access, enhancing clinical care coordination, providing whole-person care, and modernizing maternity care payment systems. The report details recent Medi-Cal policy enhancements for perinatal care and describes California's participation in the federal Transforming Maternal Health Model to further strengthen delivery systems in selected Central Valley counties.

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Keywords: California, Health care disparities, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Model programs, Perinatal care, Policy development, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Trends

Annotation: These proceedings present information from a workshop convened to explore innovative practices and models for advancing oral health across the lifespan. Topics include a global perspective on improving oral health, an overview of U.S. federal oral health policies and programs, an overview of U.S. state-level oral health policies, supporting all people to improve their oral health, increasing access to oral health care, the role of public and private payers in improving access to and affordability of oral health care, oral health care for varying populations, dentistry in 2035, enhancing oral health research and innovation, and the potential for systems transformation.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Costs, Dentistry, Health systems, Oral health, Policy, Research, World health

Annotation: This issue brief analyzes state Medicaid coverage of evidence-based perinatal services that can improve maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly during the postpartum period. The document examines coverage across four categories of services including alternative models of care delivery, whole-person wraparound care, mental and behavioral health support, and lactation support beyond the hospital. It finds wide variation in Medicaid coverage of these evidence-based perinatal services across states, with only 11 states requiring and reimbursing maternal depression screening during well-child visits and significant differences between Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states. The analysis emphasizes that despite growing recognition of postpartum care importance, state variation in Medicaid coverage likely influences maternal health outcomes and worsens place-based disparities.

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Keywords: Evidence based medicine, Health policy, Medicaid, Perinatal care, Postartum care, Reimbursement, State MCH programs, Statistics

Annotation: This report presents findings from the Expanding School Dental Services and Medicaid Billing in Pennsylvania project. The project aims to assess the scope of oral health care provided in public schools in the state, identify barriers to implementation and sustainability, support schools in serving as access points for preventive oral health care, and advocate for policy changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for oral health care delivered in schools.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Medicaid, Oral health, Pennsylvania, Prevention, Public policy, Reimbursement, School health programs, State information

Annotation: This brief provides background on community water fluoridation (CWF) and estimates the fiscal impact of removing fluoride from community water systems across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It discusses the experiences of three communities that removed fluoride from their water systems, and the decisions of two of them to re-implement CWF owing to the increased rate of tooth decay and related costs, especially among young children. Data and methods are discussed.

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Keywords: Costs, Dental caries, Fluoride, Oral health, Prevention, Public policy, Young children

Annotation: This e-book, the latest edition of Fluoridation Facts, which was first published as a physical book in 1952, answers frequently asked questions about community water fluoridation (CWF). This edition provides updated information for individuals and groups interested in the facts about fluoridation. Topics include effectiveness and benefits, safety, fluoridation practice, and public policy.

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Keywords: Community health, Fluoride, Prevention, Public policy, Safety, Tooth decay

Annotation: This report outlines a strategic approach for executive actions to address the childhood chronic disease crisis through advancing research, realigning incentives, increasing public awareness, and fostering private sector collaborations. The goal of the strategic approach is to translate the work of the Make America Healthy Again movement to policies that make a transformative and lasting impact for American and end the crisis.

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Keywords: Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Collaboration, Oral health, Public awareness, Public heath, Public policy, Research

Annotation: This report outlines a strategic approach to address the childhood chronic disease through advancing research, realigning incentives, increasing public awareness, and fostering private sector collaborations. For each topic, the report highlights current activities and identifies proposed activities.

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Keywords: Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Collaboration, Oral health, Public awareness, Public heath, Public policy, Research

Annotation: This guide is intended to help public health professionals communicate the impact on their communities of recent changes made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, increase awareness of budget and policy shifts, and build support for public health. The guide offers communication tips in the following categories: focusing on the public, not on politics; telling a public health story; and crafting an effective media pitch. Using plain language and culturally driven communications and employing owned channels to share a story are also discussed.

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Keywords: Budgets, Information dissemination, Media campaigns, Public awareness, Public health, Public policy

Annotation: This toolkit is designed to support dentists and their practices in confidently and efficiently delivering financially sustainable care to Medicaid beneficiaries. It provides background information and offers strategies in the following categories: enrollment and credentialing, operational efficiency, payer mix and revenue strategies, reimbursement, and risk management and quality assurance. Strategies for advocacy and policy involvement are included.

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Keywords: Advocacy, Dentists, Low income groups, Medicaid, Oral health, Public policy, Quality assurance, Reimbursement, Risk management, Service delivery