Variability In States’ Coverage Of Children With Medical Complexity Through Home And Community-Based Services Waivers

Abstract

Even though children with medical complexity represent less than 1 percent of the US pediatric population, they are among the costliest users of the health care system. Much of the care for these children is delivered in home and community-based settings and covered by Medicaid waivers under Section 1915(c). Expenditures related to these waivers have been steadily increasing, with most recent estimates showing spending that exceeds $48 billion per year. Little is known about these waivers' economic impact or effectiveness, because their components and coverage have not previously been well defined. Our study addressed this paucity of data by analyzing the scope of coverage offered by the waivers and evaluating how states are using them to cover children with medical complexity. We found great variability in how states choose to interpret scope of coverage and services offered, and this variability may have an impact on child and family outcomes.