KIDMED Facts

• More than 500,000 children in Louisiana are eligible for KIDMED services. (i)

• Last year, more than 500 certified KIDMED medical providers administered almost 375,000 medical screenings. (ii)

• Of the 375,000 medical screenings performed, more than 54,000 children were referred for follow-up care for conditions ranging from life-threatening to the routine. (iii) Examples of some of the medical conditions identified are: Hearing loss, Elevated blood lead levels, Developmental delays, Speech delays, Impaired vision, Genetic heart conditions, Neurological conditions.

• In addition to receiving a medical screening, more than 131,000 children received routine and preventive dental services.(iv) In the first-ever Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health, the Surgeon General states, "Tooth decay is currently the single most common chronic childhood disease." He went on to point out that this is not a minor issue, saying, "Serious oral disorders may undermine self-image and self-esteem, discourage normal social interaction, and lead to chronic stress and depression as well as incurring great financial cost. The burden of disease restricts activities in school, work, and home and often diminishes the quality of life."(v)

• More than 31,000 children received Blood Lead Screening Tests. (vi) According to the Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning, exposure to lead can cause severe problems including reduced IQ, mental retardation, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, coma, and even death. (vii) A national study by the Centers for Disease Control found that eighty-three percent of children with severe lead poisoning were enrolled in Medicaid. (viii)

• Approximately 116,000 children received a developmental assessment screening test. (ix) The developmental screening assesses the child's growth and development, determining whether or not the child has reached their age-appropriate level of development. Children failing the developmental screening test are referred for a complete developmental/psychological evaluation.

• A Health Care Financing Administration study by the Department of Health and Hospitals found that the rate of all Medicaid-enrolled children in Louisiana who are fully immunized by age two was 82 percent. The study also found that Louisiana exceeded the results of a nationwide study by the National Committee For Quality Assurance for four childhood vaccines. (x)

• The most recent data available reveals that the rate of children receiving a KIDMED medical screening who were fully immunized at the time of the screening was more than 91 percent. (xi)

Footnotes
(i) Louisiana Medicaid Management Information System, Department of Health and Hospitals, HCFA 416 For Dates Of Service, 10/01/99 through 09/30/00, run date 03/21/01.
(ii) Ibid.
(iii) Ibid.
(iv) Ibid.
(v) Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Financing Administration, Center for Medicaid and State Operation, SMDL #01-010, January 2001.
(vi) Ibid.
(vii) Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning, Childhood Lead Poisoning Fact Sheet, page 2.
(viii) US General Accounting Office, Medicaid: Elevated Blood Levels in Children, GAO/HEHS-98-78, February 1998.
(ix) Louisiana Medicaid Management Information System, Department of Health and Hospitals, HCFA 416 For Dates Of Service, 10/01/99 through 09/30/00, run date 03/21/01.
(x) Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, 1998 Louisiana Medicaid Immunization Study Results, January 2001, page 9.
(xi) Louisiana KIDMED, EPSDT Information System, Department of Health and Hospitals, Immuni-1, run date 08/26/99.