Preliminary results from the Health Care Reform Tracking Project's baseline survey and site visits to 10 states show that managed care has generally improved access to health care for children, but it has made it more difficult for youths with serious emotional disorders, and uninsured children, to obtain care. (SLD)

Recently states have increasingly turned to managed care arrangements to finance and deliver health services to Medicaid beneficiaries. As this trend continues, states should carefully monitor changes in program costs and quality and implications for delivery of pediatric services and health outcomes for children. (SLD)

The staff of the Center for the Future of Children analyzes policies to make the U.S. health care system more responsive to the needs of children and pregnant women focusing on (1) efficiency; (2) access; and (3) affordability. Recommendations are made in each of these areas. (SLD)

The current tripartite system of human services delivery (education, health, and social services) is unable to deal with children with multiple problems in an effective, coordinated way due to fragmentation, specialization, and complexity. Reorganizing the current system by linking or integrating services could provide many advantages, as…

Reviews evidence on the state of health of the nation's children and youth, identifying common health problems. Findings indicate the need for policies placing priority on the delivery of primary care services and status measures that reflect the interrelationships among health problems and the impairments associated with them. (SLD)