Last Modified: 06/14/2023
The Catalyst Center
The Catalyst Center is a national center dedicated to working with states and stakeholder organizations on improving health care insurance and financing for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN). CYSHCN includes children who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as children in need of audiological services. The Catalyst Center works to:
- Expand health insurance coverage of CYSHCN
- Close the gaps faced by underinsured families
- Develop and disseminate innovative financing strategies
- Enhance knowledge and collaboration around coverage and financing issues
The Catalyst Center has many resources that may be of help to families, providers, and policy makers. Here are some examples:
State-at-a-Glance Chartbook on Coverage and Financing for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
To support the spread of innovative financing strategies among states, the Catalyst Center has created this online tool to provide data on selected indicators on key aspects of health care coverage and financing, from every state plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Data are drawn from a wide range of standardized national sources, along with surveys and interviews with key informants in each state.
Relief Funds: A Safety Net for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
Relief Funds can pay for services that are not covered by private insurance, Medicaid, or any other public or private programs, such as hearing aids or augmentative communication devises. This brief describes Relief Funds established in Michigan, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, providing good examples of their value in supporting families.
Breaking the link between children's special health care needs and financial hardship
Three distinct "links" between children with special health care needs and family financial hardship are described here, providing policymakers and advocates with examples of proven solutions that can reduce the impact of medical debt and underinsurance.
Public Insurance Programs and Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Tutorial on the Basics of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
This tutorial gives a broad overview of Medicaid and CHIP, the many different populations these programs serve, the changes they are undergoing under health reform, and some detail to help readers think about opportunities to improve access to coverage for CSHCN, including children with hearing loss.
