News: CMS releases first Medicaid, CHIP scorecard

CMS released its first ever Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) scorecard on Monday, June 5.

The first version of the scorecard includes measures voluntarily reported by states, according to HealthLeaders Media, and federally reported measures in three areas:

• State health system performance
• State administrative accountability
• Federal administrative accountability

These measures are tied to a variety of metrics, including well child visits, mental health conditions, children’s preventative dental services, and other chronic conditions.

While the performance data is now available, CMS has not specified whether or not poor performances will lead to consequences, according to FierceHealthcare.

“The scorecard will be used to track and display progress made throughout and across the Medicaid and CHIP programs, so others can learn from the successes of high performing states,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma in the CMS press release. “By using meaningful data and fostering transparency, we will see the development of best practices that lead to positive health outcomes for our most vulnerable populations.”

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeaders Media’s coverage of this story, click here. To read FierceHealthcare’s coverage, click here. To read the CMS press release, click here. To download the CMS Scorecard fact sheet, click here. To view the Scorecard for yourself, click here.