On June 28, the Commonwealth Fund released a report examining the efforts of the non-profit organization Colorado Children's Healthcare Access Program to improve access to preventive care for children enrolled in Medicaid by getting pediatric and family practices to accept them and provide them with a medical home.  The report notes that children on Medicaid that have care through a medical home provided by a pediatric or family practice have fewer ER visits, more preventive care visits, and cost the state's Medicaid program less than children that are not.

From the report: The Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program (CCHAP) is a nonprofit organization that addresses barriers that have prevented private pediatric and family practices from participating in Medicaid, with the goal of ensuring access to medical homes for one of the state’s most vulnerable populations: low-income children.  The program helps participating practices to receive, under Colorado’s medical home certification, enhanced Medicaid payments for certain preventive services and provides support services, including care coordination, a resource hotline, and Medicaid billing assistance. CCHAP encourages the medical practices to provide a medical home to a patient population comprised of at least 10 percent of Medicaid or CHIP enrollees.

Full report: Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program: Helping Pediatric Practices Become Medical Homes for Low-Income Children (PDF | 1.4 MB)

Commonwealth Fund.  (2010).  Colorado children’s healthcare access program: helping pediatric practices become medical homes for low-income children.  Silow-Carrol, S. and Bitterman, J.