Washington State, health insurance carriers improve children's health care

OLYMPIA—An effort to improve preventive health care for low-income children is paying off for Washington State.

Washington State Medicaid program, a half-dozen health insurance carriers, and 11 Western Washington clinics have been working together this year on a Children's Preventive Healthcare Initiative (CPHI) aimed at increasing well-child exam rates and ensuring that more young children in the program receive their immunizations.

Brandi Varnell, nurse manager for the Community Health Center of Snohomish County Broadway Clinics in Everett, said her center is seeing as much as a 10 percent jump in immunization rates in a single month this summer, thanks to better notification procedures and putting a higher priority on results via the use of statewide immunization registries like CHILD Profile.

Barbara Lantz, RN, Contract Manager for CPHI with the Medical Assistance Administration (MAA), said discussions and shared ideas in training sessions are paying off because the clinics are able to explore new ways to get children in for preventive care.

"Clinics are using the Washington State immunization registry, health plan data, and clinic billing systems to identify children due for physical exams and immunizations and employing methods such as reminder postcards and telephone calls to get kids in for care,” Lantz said.

"I think everyone feels this has moved the process ahead," she added.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services release, September 19

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