Document Type
Article
Source Publication Title
Journal of Disability Policy Studies
Abstract
Several states have invested in 1915(c) Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Medicaid policies to improve outcomes and reduce costs for children and youth with significant behavioral health needs, or Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED). However, little is known about these programs and the children they serve. Through a retrospective cross-sectional analysis, this study aimed to understand if the program was successfully reaching its target population: children and youth with the highest clinical need, at the greatest risk for out-of-home care, and who may not otherwise be eligible for Medicaid through other avenues. Results describe the demographic, clinical, and service use characteristics of children and youth enrolled in one SED Waiver program, comparing them with those of similar, non-waiver enrolled children with behavioral health needs. Findings report that the waiver program examined rarely served children and families not otherwise eligible for Medicaid, but that waiver-enrolled children and youth had substantially more severe clinical need, were at higher risk for out-of-home placement and incurred greater public expenditures for service use. Findings suggest the program studied is serving children with more significant psychiatric needs, as the program intends, but points to the need for further research to understand the impacts of such programs on system and clinical outcomes.
Publication Date
3-8-2023
Language
English
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Graaf, Genevieve; Whitfield, Emily; and Snowden, Lonnie, "1915(c) Medicaid Waivers for Children With Severe Emotional Disturbance: Participant Characteristics, Enrollment, and Out-of-Home Service Use" (2023). SAGE Open Access Agreement Publications. 3.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/utalibraries_sageoapubs/3