The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will fund a model of care, Integrated Care for Kids (InCK), that will test whether alternative payment models can promote closer integration across children’s physical healthcare, behavioral healthcare, social services and educational services in up to eight states. InCK encourages healthcare providers and Medicaid agencies to think beyond medical services, supporting team-based care with family representation and focusing on children’s social and emotional development.

CMMI will offer about $15 million in funding to awardees, which will include a local organization lead—such as a provider that works extensively with children who have behavioral health issues—and/or a Medicaid agency partnering with a broad range of social and educational organizations that serve children.

In a post for The Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog, Manatt Health explains how InCK provides an important opportunity for states and their local partners to improve children’s well-being. The post also examines the ways that InCK is opening the door wider for the reform of children’s healthcare delivery—and triggering broader interest in integrated service delivery and payment models for children.        

Click here to read the full post.