With so many children and families relying on Medicaid and CHIP for comprehensive health services, the quality of these services is paramount. The National Quality Forum’s Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) recently provided input to the Department of Health and Human Services on performance measures to monitor and improve quality for this population. All 50 states and the District of Columbia voluntarily participate in reporting measures from the Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures for Children Enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP, also known as the Child Core Set.

These MAP recommendations expand upon MAP’s work on measures of quality of care for low-income and vulnerable populations. MAP recently completed its second report on measures to improve care for Medicaid-eligible adults, as well as a new report on improving care Americans who are eligible to be covered by both Medicare and Medicaid.

MAP consulted with state Medicaid leaders and other stakeholders in developing both measure-specific and strategic recommendations related to the Adult and Child Core Sets. The recommendations highlighted high-priority measures for addition to the reporting programs that focus on prominent health conditions, such as depression, asthma, diabetes, and oral health. The Core Sets will continue to evolve in response to changing stakeholder needs.

MAP continues its work to align, when possible and appropriate, key measures across the Medicaid Adult and Child core sets to drive local efforts to maximize the value of Medicaid investments in caring for vulnerable populations.