Search Results: MCHLine

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

Annotation: This report presents 97 recommendations developed by the Maine Maternal, Fetal, and Infant Mortality Review (MFIMR) Panel based on reviews of 22 cases of maternal, fetal and infant deaths occurring from July 2023 through December 2024. The 35-member panel reviewed de-identified case narratives to identify contributing factors and develop recommendations to improve health outcomes across 22 thematic areas including cardiovascular care, care coordination, cultural and linguistic support, emergency services, mental health, substance use, and social determinants of health. Panel members prioritized eight recommendations in the areas of mental health, substance use, and cultural/linguistic support, with an additional cross-cutting recommendation on stigma reduction.

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Keywords: Fatality review, Infant mortality review, Maine, Maternal mortality, Policy development, Protocols, State initiatives, fetal mortality

Annotation: This report provides information that state Medicaid agencies and their partners can use to improve maternal and infant health through their Medicaid programs, with particular attention on the Transforming Maternal Health Model (TMaH). The report contains three sections that correspond to core areas of maternal and infant health improvement: best practices, policy checklists, and resources.

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Keywords: Infant health, Maternal health, Medicaid programs, Public policy, Resources for professionals

Annotation: This policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics describes the role of home health care for children with disabilities, medical complexity, and chronic conditions in supporting their daily health and community participation. It outlines the legal obligations of payers under federal programs and mandates, including Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) provision and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The document identifies systemic barriers such as workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and the significant financial and emotional burden of unpaid caregiving on families. Recommendations are provided for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve regulatory oversight, standardize pediatric electronic data structures, and expand paid family caregiver programs.The statement also advocates for payment reforms to support workforce retention, the provision of specialized medical equipment, and the use of telemedicine for remote clinical support.

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Keywords: Barriers, Child health, Children with special health care needs, Federal legislation, Financing, Home visits, Medicaid, Pediatrics, Policy, Policy development

Annotation: This two-part policy tool is designed to support a facilitated process for state oral health stakeholders to collectively make decisions about priorities based on suggested criteria. It also provides a planning checklist to move forward strategically. Part one assists state oral health programs in assessing opportunities for socio-political, policy, and systems change. It considers scientific data collection, professional judgment, community input, and feasibility in needs assessment and policy development to improve oral health resources and services. Part two focuses on developing policy actions or systems-development plans to take advantage of or create new opportunities to advance the public’s oral health. The guidebook contains a series of templates that can be reproduced and adapted to meet specific project needs. This tool was previously issued as "The policy tool guidebook: Steps for creating a successful oral health policy tool session" (2009).

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Keywords: Children, Collaboration, Community coordination, Health policy, Manuals, Needs assessment, Oral health, Public health programs, Strategic plans

Annotation: This report provides a guide to telehealth-related policies, laws, and regulations for all states and the District of Columbia. The report contains information about Medicaid policy trends, including common telehealth Medicaid policy expansions. Also discussed are professional practice standards, private payer reimbursement, online prescribing, and consent laws and requirements. Information about licensure requirements by state for health professionals providing telehealth is incuded.

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Keywords: Legislation, Managed care, Medicaid, Oral health, Public policy, Regulations, Telemedicine

Annotation: This roadmap provides detailed information on policies and strategies that foster nurturing environments for infants and toddlers and reduce disparities in access and outcomes. Published annually, the roadmap is designed to help state leaders (1) Assess the wellbeing of its infants and toddlers and prioritize state policy goals; (2) Identify evidence-based policy solutions proven to impact policy goals; (3) Monitor states’ adoption and implementation of effective policies and strategies; and (4) Track the impact that policy changes have on improving the wellbeing of children and families and reducing disparities between racial and ethnic groups. A summary of each state’s progress is included.

• 2024
• 2023

Keywords: Child health, Data collection, Early childhood development, Family leave, Health care access, Health status disparities, Home visits, Infant health, MCH programs, Policy, Prenatal care, State initiatives, State policy

Annotation: This report highlights the common threads between housing and reproductive justice, emphasizing the importance of policy solutions that de-silo maternal health and address social and structural barriers. The first section describes how structural racism and structural disinvestment—including residential segregation, poor housing access and conditions, residential instability and gentrification, and the carceral apparatus—contribute to deleterious health outcomes among Black women and birthing people. The second section outlines how Black pregnancy is policed across the reproductive lifespan through forced evictions and displacement during pregnancy, double jeopardy of racism and discrimination in health care settings, and threatened Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement after birth. The third section highlights the status of housing reform in Washington, D.C. and potential opportunities for change. The report ends with Mamatoto Village’s housing justice framework, a summary of federal housing programs and policies, and links to annotated bibliography of key articles.

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Keywords: Barriers, Blacks, Civil rights, Federal programs , Housing, Housing programs, Maternal health, Policy development, Pregnancy, Racism, Social factors, Underserved communities

Annotation: This brief highlights state approaches and innovations to support equitable systems of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).

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Keywords: Adolescents with special health care needs, Children with special health care needs, Health equity, Policy development, Public policy, State initiatives

Annotation: This report provides information about how fluoride varnish (FV) can be used to prevent or reverse the early states of tooth decay. It presents background, explains what FV is, and discusses state FV quality-improvement (QI) projects. It also discusses how states have partnered to improve the success of QI projects, sustaining and spreading improvement through program and policy changes, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.

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Keywords: Dental caries, Fluoride, Oral health, Policy development, Prevention, Programs, Quality assurance

Annotation: This policy cheat sheet outlines the ways in which state Medicaid agencies can obtain federal approval to fund health-related social services such as food assistance and housing support. Included are links to related documents and federal guidance, including a table of 15 concrete interventions and four pathways for federal approval. Examples of promising strategies in the states of New York, Minnesota, and Massachusetts are also provided.

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Keywords: Funding, Health care reform, Medicaid, Policy, Social services, State initiatives

Annotation: This blog post explains how states are sustaining, developing, and partnering with the community health worker (CHW) workforce and describes how states are leveraging Medicaid strategies to finance CHWs. Included is a link to a 50-state Medicaid tracker that provides details on state CHW models, including certification and training, Medicaid reimbursement, other funding mechanisms, state legislation, and key partnerships.

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Keywords: Community health aides, Community health workers, Health policy, Trends, Work force

Annotation: This report provides information about a series of community listening sessions that Community Catalyst held with community members in three states. The purpose of the sessions was to gain a better understanding of community members' perspectives related to access to and experiences with oral health care. The report includes an overview of the methodology of these listening sessions, descriptions of key themes that arose, and recommendations for policy solutions to address the barriers community members identified.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Barriers, Community health, Oral health, Public policy

Annotation: This resource for professionals provides actionable guidance that encourages collaboration across diverse sectors to address and improve inequities and maternal health outcomes. It provides examples of partnerships that leverage new ideas and resources, including innovative approaches to gathering and using data; highlights policies and practices that are improving the health and well-being of birthing people and children across the United States; and includes stories from birthing people and women about their pregnancy and childbirth experiences. Graphics and sample text for social media posts are also provided.

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Keywords: Prenatal care, Advocacy, Childbirth, Colllaboration, Community action, Data, Health equity, Maternal health, Models, Policy, Pregnancy, Resources for professionals

Annotation: This brief highlights the association between child welfare involvement and the lack of stable and adequate housing among children who end up in the foster care system. It presents an overview of the complex problem and provides examples of policy levers state governors have at their disposal to address housing challenges before children are removed from their homes and separated from their families.

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Keywords: Child health, Families, Foster care, Homelessness Child welfare, Housing, Policy development , Prevention