Medicaid plays a large role in covering health care services for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). As CYSHCN reach adulthood, they need to transition from child to adult coverage and health care. Research indicates that these young beneficiaries and their families experience barriers during this transition.
This presentation introduced new work on CYSHCN transitions that will carry into the 2024-2025 analytic cycle. Staff described key findings from our federal and state policy scan and literature review, which focused on identifying how CYSHCN are defined and what policies are in place to guide their care and coverage transitions. We found that there is significant variability in how states define CYSHCN and establish expectations for transitions.