The Role of State Medicaid and Title V Program Definitions of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs in the Provision of Services and Supports

This issue brief, written in partnership with the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), describes how states define CYSHCN within Medicaid and Title V CYSHCN programs and explores the implications of these definitions. Federal and state program approaches to defining children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) can impact how they determine eligibility for health care services and supports (e.g., care coordination), evaluate the impact of services, and measure outcomes.  The brief presents an analysis of data gathered through administrative and interview data from seven states (AZ, FL, NY, OH, OR, UT, and VA), and presents state considerations for establishing and implementing definitions of CYSHCN.