Changing Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Care Through Medicaid Partnerships

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare policy
• Palliative care for children
• Medicaid services research

Background:

• The Affordable Care Act's Concurrent Care for Children Provision (2010) enables integrated care for critically ill children.
• This legislation allows simultaneous hospice and treatment-directed therapies, improving care for pediatric patients.
• Variations in state Medicaid programming have led to inconsistent implementation of concurrent care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine state-level execution of the Concurrent Care for Children Provision.
• To identify advocacy strategies used by stakeholders for effective legislative implementation.
• To provide insights for improving Medicaid services delivery for children with serious illnesses.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of concurrent care implementation in three distinct states.
• Examination of stakeholder advocacy efforts within state Medicaid programs.
• Review of legislative mandates and collaborative relationships.

Main Results:

• Concurrent care implementation differs across states, influenced by Medicaid programming.
• Stakeholder advocacy plays a crucial role in ensuring effective legislative execution.
• Lessons learned highlight the importance of collaboration between clinicians, administrators, and policymakers.

Conclusions:

• Effective delivery of concurrent care for children with serious illnesses necessitates tailored state-level strategies.
• Collaboration among healthcare professionals, Medicaid administrators, and policymakers is vital for successful implementation.
• Advocacy efforts by key stakeholders can overcome barriers to equitable access to concurrent care services.