The Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) accelerated interest in pediatric quality measurement and presented an unprecedented opportunity to improve healthcare quality and outcomes for the nation’s children, including the almost 40 million children enrolled in Medicaid and/or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIPRA also established the Pediatric Quality Measures Program. The program, with support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), funded seven Centers of Excellence to develop and refine child health measures in high-priority areas.

After years of concerted effort, a cohort of these child health measures is now ready for NQF review and endorsement consideration.

The Pediatric Measures project adds to a growing body of NQF work in child health measures. In 2014, the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) provided input to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on how to strengthen the core set of healthcare measures used to monitor and improve the quality of services provided to children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, which extends coverage to children in low- and middle-income families. The MAP Medicaid Child Task Force recently completed an annual review of the Child Core Set; a report is due to CMS at the end of August.

Contact Suzanne Theberge with questions or feedback.