Health Care System for Chronically Ill Children in California Lags Behind Many States, New Study Shows
California is trailing many other states when it comes to providing health and social services for children with special health care needs.
Our new study, Children with Special Health Care Needs in California: A Profile of Key Issues, analyzes the most recent data from a survey of parents by the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau. California ranks in the bottom six of states on key health measures such as access to pediatric specialists and coordination of care. Data from the study are available at http://www.kidsdata.org/cshcn/.
Among the key findings:
- An estimated one in 10 – approximately one million – California children under age 18 has a special health care need, ranging from mild to life-threatening.
- More than four in five children with special health care needs in California do not receive care that meets federal minimum quality standards.
- Among the estimated 270,000 children with special health care needs in California with Medi-Cal or other public insurance coverage, only 6 percent receive health care that meets the federal quality standards. California ranks last in the nation on this measure, tied with Nevada.
- California ranks 50th in the nation on the percentage of children with special health care needs who have problems getting needed referrals for specialty care.
- Families of children with special health care needs in California are more likely than families in all other states to cut back or stop working due to their child’s condition.
- California ranks last in the nation on the percentage of children with special health care needs whose families experience shared decision making with health care providers.
- Although most California children with special health care needs are insured, just 59% of those who are insured have consistent and adequate health insurance coverage to meet their health needs.
Children are considered to have special health care needs if they have a chronic health problem and use more health care services than typical children. These children may have asthma or diabetes, conditions that can be controlled with medication and lifestyle changes, or be dependent on sophisticated medical equipment to get through each day. They account for more than 40 percent of all health care costs among children nationwide, despite making up only about 16 percent of the U.S. child population.
Low-income families and families of children with the most complex needs usually have the most difficulty in finding medical and dental care, child care, transportation, educational assistance, medical equipment, consistent health insurance, and a range of other services.
We can and must do better by our children. Here are some possible solutions:
- Strengthen and expand care coordination efforts
- Facilitate access to community-based therapeutic and family support services.
- Improve availability, comprehensiveness, and affordability of insurance
- Improve access to specialist care
- Emphasize family-centered care
To that end, we have established the California Advocacy Network for Children with Special Health Care Needs, which brings together individuals and organizations to press for policy changes to improve the system. More than 450 individuals are Network members, representing families, young adults, care providers, insurers, advocates, researchers, and more. To find out more about the Network or join, click here.
Posted by kidsdata.org
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