CHIPRA Initial Core Set of Children's Health Care Quality Measures
Initial Core Set of Children's Health Care Quality Measures
The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) included provisions to strengthen the quality of care provided and health outcomes of children in Medicaid and CHIP. CHIPRA required HHS to identify and publish an initial core measure set of children’s health care quality measures for voluntary use by State Medicaid and CHIP programs. On December 29, 2009, the Secretary posted for public comment in the Federal Register, an initial core set of 24 children's health care quality measures for voluntary use by Medicaid and CHIP programs. The CHIPRA legislation requires that improvements to the initial core set of children’s health care quality measures be issued annually beginning in January 2013.
Updated Child Core Set
The 2013 Child Core Set was released in January 2013 State Health Official Letter. The core set includes a range of children’s quality measures encompassing both physical and mental health, including chronic conditions, such as asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and diabetes. State data derived from the core measures are part of the Secretary's Annual Report on the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP and Appendices. Previous years' Secretary’s Reports and appendices can be viewed from the Related Resources at the bottom of the page.
How States Voluntarily Report Quality Measures
States can voluntarily report the core set of quality measures by using the 2013 Child Core Set Technical Specifications and Resource Manual.
Other Children’s Quality Measures Initiatives
CMS also has other initiatives that relate to children’s quality measures, including a Pediatric Quality Measures Program (PQMP) and the Pediatric Electronic Health Record Format.
CHIPRA Technical Assistance and Analytic Support Program
CMS is committed to supporting State efforts to improve the measurement of the quality of health care for children. To increase the number of States consistently collecting, reporting, and using the initial core set of children’s health care quality measures, CMS established the “CHIPRA Technical Assistance and Analytic Support Program” with an award of a contract to Mathematica Policy Research in May 2011. Mathematica – teamed with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Center for Health Care Strategies and the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality – will work with CMS to support States’ child health care quality measurement and improvement efforts. The overarching goals are to increase the number of States consistently collecting and uniformly reporting the voluntary initial core measures set, and to help States understand how to use these data to improve the quality of care for children. As part of the technical assistance effort, CMS will share promising practices for collecting the core measures with States. For more information, see the Technical Assistance and Analytical Support Program fact sheet.
Requests for technical assistance related to initial core set of children's health care quality measures? Email CHIPRAQualityTA@cms.hhs.gov.
Technical Assistance Webinars
- Developing State-Level Rates for Children's Health Care Quality Measures - October 9, 2012
- Using CAHPS to Better Understand the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP - November 13, 2012
- FFY 2012 Reporting in CARTS - December 6, 2012
Additional Technical Assistance Resources
Quality Improvement Workshop Series
Quality Improvement 101
- Getting Started- February 27, 2013
- Developing Aims and Selecting Change Strategies- April 5, 2013
- Measuring and Monitoring Improvement- April 29, 2013
- Summary of Updates to the Child Core Set Measures Technical Specifications and Resource Manual -- May 2013
- Technical Assistance Brief: Reporting the Two Initial Core Set Dental Measures in CARTS
- Q&As from the 2011 Technical Assistance Webinar for Collecting and Reporting the Initial Core Measure Set
Pediatric Electronic Health Record Format
Section 401(f) of CHIPRA provides for the development of a model electronic health record (EHR) format for children enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. As existing EHR systems often do not optimally support the provision of health care to children, AHRQ, through an intra-agency agreement with the CMS, is working to develop the model EHR format for children, and demonstrate that it can be readily used and package it in a way that facilitates broad incorporation into EHR systems.
North Carolina and Pennsylvania will evaluate the impact of the model children’s EHR format as part of their CHIPRA Demonstration Grants.
Related Resources
Annual Report on the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP:
- 2012 Annual Report on the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP
- 2011 Annual Report on the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP
- First Annual Report on the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP
State Health Official Letter on the 2013 Children's Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures
State Health Official Letter on the Children's Health Care Quality Measures
Report to Congress on Improving Children's Health Care Quality in Medicaid and CHIP