CISWH Project Resources

Financial hardship is common among families raising CYSHCN. This Catalyst Center policy brief describes the three distinct but interconnected pathways. 

This guide is designed for policymakers, advocates, legislators, consumers, family members, and providers – in short, for anyone interested in financing care for children and youth with special health care needs at the state level, and in particular through the Medicaid program.

This interactive chartbook provides data on carefully selected indicators of health coverage and health care financing for CYSHCN in every state plus DC and Puerto Rico.

At the May 2014 National Health Care for the Homeless Conference in New Orleans, several staff members from grantees associated with the Med-HEART project presented this workshop on the role of the patient navigator in medical home models for individuals living with HIV who are homeless and face mental health and substance use challenges.

This Catalyst Center policy brief provides information about Medicaid Buy-In Programs including what they are, how they work, how they help both families raising Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN)/disabilities and the states. Learn about existing Medicaid Buy-in programs in three states. 

The Family Opportunity Act (FOA) is a state option for creating a Medicaid Buy-in program for families raising children with disabilities whose income is too high for Medicaid but less than 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL). This policy brief provides a methodology for estimating the impact of FOA implementation. 

This Catalyst Center policy brief explains the problem of under-insurance for CYSHCN and its impact on families. 

This report has its origins in a one-day meeting held with an expert panel in September 2011 on risk adjustment for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). This meeting was sponsored by the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and facilitated by the Catalyst Center at the Boston University School of Public Health, with logistical support provided by John Snow, Incorporated.

Here we share the lessons learned as PEER Center and Peer Education and Training Sites staff helped organizations integrate peer services to support clients living with HIV. The intent is to share ideas and approaches so program planners, policy makers, evaluators, consumer advisory boards, funders and organizations can integrate HIV-positive peers into HIV care and treatment within their communities. Four case studies describe the PETS/REC Initiative’s efforts to integrate peers into the care and treatment teams within specific organizations and communities.

The Catalyst Center has created a TEFRA and FOA Medicaid Buy-in Educational Worksheet that you can use to learn about the similarities and differences between these two programs. Using the attached instructions, you can fill out the worksheet with data on the insurance status of families in your state. We hope this tool will be a good introduction to how to use data to make your case for improving coverage for children and youth with disabilities.