Number of Medicaid/CHIP children's health care quality measures 2019

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established a set of health care quality measures for children in Medicaid and CHIP. A total of 26 core measures were recommended in 2019, and the states that reported the highest number of measures were South Carolina, Alabama, and Delaware.

What do the core measures include?

Together, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covered approximately 36 million children in April 2020, with California providing the largest number of enrollees. The CMS plays a key role in reviewing and promoting quality health care for children in both programs, and the list of core measures encompasses both physical and mental health. In 2019, all 50 states and the District of Columbia provided dental services to eligible enrollees.

State reporting of measures is set to change

States have a choice in how they design their Medicaid and CHIP programs, and reporting on the core set of measures for children has been voluntary since the guidelines were established in 2010. However, in an attempt to further improve quality, state reporting will become mandatory in 2024. The CMS monitors and reviews the list of measures each year, and this can result in some being withdrawn and new ones being added.