Pilot Program
 

Two physicians at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Steven Poole and James Todd, developed the Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program (CCHAP) to address the barriers physicians cited to serving children in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Plan programs. After a year of planning, an 18-month pilot program was conducted with 7,000 children in seven pediatric practices in metro Denver during 2005–06. There were two keys to the success of the pilot program. First, CCHAP negotiated an enhanced reimbursement rate for the physicians through the managed care organization, which recognized that it would save money through reduced emergency room and hospitalization costs for the children.
 

Second, CCHAP linked the private practices to an array of services for families provided by 30 community-based organizations, for example, mental health counseling, social services, transportation, case management, and an immunization reminder system. 
 

Pilot Program Results
 

The evaluation of the pilot program has shown that private pediatric practices in Colorado are able and willing to provide a medical home for Medicaid and CHP+ children resulting in

• Reduced cost of care per child;
• Improved health outcome measures 
   – immunization rates increased 
   – preventive care visits increased 
   – emergency care visits and hospitalization rates decreased

Future Plans
 

In 2007 The Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program developed a demonstration program for 42 private practices to receive increased reimbursement is return for providing a medical home to Medicaid and CHP+ children. As of July 2008, that number has grown to 52 private pediatric practices, and we continue to add practices monthly. CCHAP is in the process of expanding across Colorado to assess the barriers to care for Medicaid and CHP+ children in rural Colorado, and has set for itself to goal of creating a self-sustaining program by the year 2010.

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