Lagging coverage for mental health services among children and adolescents through home and community-based Medicaid waivers.

Problem: Many states cover mental health home and community-based services (HCBS) for youth through 1915(c) Medicaid HCBS waivers that allow states to waive certain Medicaid eligibility criteria and define high-risk populations based on age, medical condition(s), and disability status. We sought to evaluate how States are covering children and adolescents with mental health needs through 1915(c) waivers compared to other youth waiver populations.

Methods: Data elements were extracted from Medicaid 1915(c) approved waivers applications for all included waivers targeting any pediatric age range through October 31, 2018.