The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) today announced that based on the Urban Institute’s report on Medicaid/CHIP Participation Rates, Florida’s Medicaid program showed significant improvement in the percentage of eligible children enrolled in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) programs. Florida saw a 7.1 percentage point increase in eligible children enrolled in the Florida Medicaid and CHIP between 2013 and 2015. This represents the sixth highest state increase in the nation, and is well above the national average increase. To access the full report click here.
Agency Secretary Justin M. Senior said, “With the implementation of Statewide Medicaid Managed Care our state has revolutionized the way we administer the Medicaid program. This report highlights that more children than ever are receiving health care services and have access to the highest quality of care in our program’s history. With the increased percentage of eligible children enrolled in the Medicaid program, and the improvement in access to services announced this spring as part of the CMS-416 report, the numbers are proving that our program is a success and that children are receiving necessary health care. We know we have more work to do, but our managed care system continues to improve each year — the proof is in the numbers, and our Agency will remain committed to our goal of better health care for all Floridians.”
The CMS-416 report announced last month showed that Florida Medicaid continues to improve in children’s access to health care services. For the second year in a row, Florida showed gains in every single metric in the 416 report. The 2016 CMS-416 data reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a nationally recognized quality and access measure in the Medicaid program, and includes a yearly report that tracks the number of children who received preventive medical screening and dental services. The Agency also saw improvements in children receiving blood lead screenings and the usage of dental and other oral health services. Florida’s dental scores have improved every year since 2011.
health care services
AHCA announces continued improvements in access to health care services for children
The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) announced today that Florida’s Medicaid program showed significant improvement in a key national report on quality and access for children. The report showed continued improvement in children’s access to services for the second year in a row, with Florida once again showing gains in every single metric in the report. The 2016 Form 416 data reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a nationally recognized quality and access measure in the Medicaid program, and includes a yearly report that tracks the number of children who received preventive screening and dental services. The Agency saw improvements in children receiving blood lead screenings and the usage of dental and other oral health services, and Florida’s dental scores have improved every year since 2011.
Agency Secretary Justin M. Senior said, “The Agency has worked to improve quality and access simultaneously, and the increase in usage of Medicaid services by eligible children is a testament to the hard work that our Agency has done. Preventive services are vital for keeping Florida’s children healthy, and I am excited that we are delivering necessary health care to more eligible children than ever. Our managed care system is working as it was intended to, and we will continue to work to ensure that all Medicaid recipients have access to quality health care.”
During this reporting period, 36 percent of eligible children enrolled for 90 continuous days received a preventive dental service, such as dental cleanings and fluoride varnish, as calculated using the Child Core Set P-Dent measure. This is an increase of 3 percentage points from last year and 17 percentage points from the federal fiscal year 2012 report. In addition, this year 156,291 children received a sealant on a permanent molar, an increase of more than 16,550 children (12 percent) compared to last year. Over the reporting period, 38 percent of eligible enrollees accessed dental services provided by a dentist, an increase of 3 percentage points, and more than 41 percent of eligible enrollees accessed some form of oral health care through Medicaid. These dental scores are the highest in the history of the program. In addition, the ratio for eligible enrollees receiving an initial or periodic screening increased from 0.57 to 0.59. The Agency also achieved a 5.4 percent increase in children who were tested for lead in their blood.
States are required by CMS to inform all Medicaid-eligible individuals under the age of 21 of the availability of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) services, provide or arrange for the provision of screening services, arrange for necessary corrective treatment and annually report EPSDT performance information via Form CMS-416. For more information on the Agency’s Medicaid program, visit the Medicaid website at: http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/index.shtml
