The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) provided temporary enhancements to the existing CTC for the tax years 2021 and 2022, including increasing the credit’s maximum value and removing the minimum income criterion for refundability. As a result, even households with no income were eligible for the full credit. These temporary changes supported families who were at higher risk of financial hardship, such as those raising children with disabilities.
In this report, researchers at the Catalyst Center at Boston University, the Social Policy Institute at Washington University of St. Louis, and Appalachian State University use a nationally representative survey of US families to explore the impacts of the CTC on families raising children with disabilities. The report describes the receipt, usage, and perceived impacts of the CTC payments for families raising children with disabilities, and how these elements compared with those of families without children with disabilities. The report also presents data on differences in usage among families raising children with disabilities based on race/ethnicity and income. The policy brief, designed for advocates and policymakers, summarizes the findings of the full report.
As the single largest source of health coverage for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSCHN), with robust benefits and cost-sharing limits, Medicaid provides critical coverage of health care services to CYSHCN. State Title V programs are uniquely positioned to collaborate with Medicaid to promote access to the system of services for CYSHCN.
The Catalyst Center hosted a webinar on June 14, 2022, that presented foundational knowledge about Medicaid for Title V staff and their allies. Catalyst Center staff explained the basics of Medicaid including the eligibility pathways to Medicaid coverage for kids and a benefit for children unique to Medicaid called EPSDT that is crucial for access to care for CYSHCN.
Please click the links below to access the webinar recording, slide deck, and a document with follow-up resources and Q&A responses.
The recent Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion is expected to improve the economic security of millions of families in the U.S., including families raising children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). While many families will receive the expanded tax credit automatically, others of the most vulnerable families need to take action to access the financial support.
On August 24 at 2pm ET, the Catalyst Center hosted a webinar explaining the expanded CTC and the role that Title V and Family Leader organizations might play in assisting families in accessing this support.
The webinar program featured presentations by Elaine Maag, Principal Research Associate, Tax Policy Center, Urban Institute and Brookings Institution; Stacy Collins, Associate Director, Health Systems Transformation at AMCHP; and Isabel Dickson, Economic Mobility Specialist of the Maternal and Child Health Program at the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.
Below, you can access a recording of the webinar, presentation slides, and a page of resources related to the expanded CTC.
On March 10th at the 2019 Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) conference, the Catalyst Center presented an infographic series on the fundamentals of financing the system of care for CYSHCN.
The presentation reviews the rationale for the infographic series, key content in each infographic, and explores how infographics can be used to communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
The Catalyst Center has created an infographic series exploring key focus areas in the world of health care financing and coverage for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Each infographic offers a concise look at a complex issue from the perspective of CYSHCN, their families, payers and policymakers, and providers.
These one-pagers are a visually appealing and easy way to share information about the system of care for CYSHCN with stakeholders. Resources for further topic exploration are listed at the bottom of the infographic. Infographic topics include: Medicaid, pathways to Medicaid coverage, EPSDT, inequities in coverage and financing, family financial hardship, the importance of partnerships, family engagement, value-based purchasing, and care coordination.
Thanks to the following family leaders and Title V colleagues for reviewing this project and providing valuable feedback: Cara Coleman, Donene Feist, Janis Guerney, Rylin Rodgers, Nora Wells, Sandra Broughton, Elizabeth Collins, Elaine Gabovitch, Alison Martin, Shirley Payne, and Meredith Pyle.
An overview of the Department of Homeland Security’s draft rule on “public charge,” and what it means for immigrants receiving benefits.
The Catalyst Center has created a one-page infographic illustrating the importance of partnerships in advancing financing and coverage for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). This infographic provides a brief explanation of the power of partnerships and highlights examples of partnerships with important stakeholders.
This is one page in a series of infographics exploring key focus areas in the world of health care financing and coverage for CYSHCN.
These one-pagers are a visually appealing and easy way to share information about the system of care for CYSHCN with stakeholders. Resources for further information about leveraging partnerships for CYSHCN are listed at the bottom of the infographic.
The Catalyst Center has created a one-page infographic illustrating important elements of Medicaid for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). This is one page in a series of infographics exploring key focus areas in the world of health care financing and coverage for CYSHCN.
These one-pagers are a visually appealing and easy way to share information about the system of care for CYSHCN with stakeholders. Resources for further exploration of Medicaid and CYSHCN are listed at the bottom of the infographic.
On February 13th at the 2018 Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) conference the Catalyst Center presented the results of four focus groups that were conducted with parents of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) who are from the Somali community in Boston, focusing on accessing health care for their CYSHCN.
In the context of the focus group results, we also provided results of interviews conducted with representatives of state Offices of Minority Health. We presented information on innovative strategies states are using to mitigate inequities and discussed how these strategies could address the barriers the families identified. The session was recorded, and the video will also be available here in the coming months.
In this webinar, which took place on April 26, 2017, Catalyst Center staff introduced the updated edition of Breaking the Link Between Special Health Care Needs and Financial Hardship. They presented about the impact that health care financing and coverage gaps have on the lives of real families and highlighted innovative policy solutions that can improve the system of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).
Slides from this webinar are available below.