Figure 6: Health Plus Reminder Letter Written to PCP

Dear Health Plus Participating Physician:

Health Plus is making a special effort to see that our youngest members

receive recommended preventive exams, including developmental screenings

and other early childhood services. The American Academy of Pediatrics rec 

ommends developmental screenings of infants and children at their regular

preventive care visits with referral to specialists as appropriate. The Academy

also recommends referral, with parental consent, to early intervention and

early childhood development programs as appropriate.         

Health Plus has identified the following member of your panel who has a

high risk diagnosis on our claims file:

Member name:                                               HP ID#:

DOB:    

Please ascertain the date of this member's last preventive visit and, if needed,

schedule a routine preventive exam and developmental screening. As part of

our commitment to improve developmental assessments for our child mem 

bers, Health Plus is reimbursing providers for conducting developmental tests

(CPT codes 96110 96111). If you wish to refer this member for a more com 

plete developmental assessment our case manager can provide you with a list

of Health Plus participating providers and assist you with this referral. Our

case manager can also help with referral to early intervention/early childhood

development programs or other specialized services, if needed. For assistance

call ___ at ______. 

We hope you find these case management services helpful to you.   

Very truly yours,

Medical Director

claims during the third quarter of 2003; based on this success, the plan has sustained

its efforts to increase well visits.

ABC Health Plan 

ABC Health Plan developed a partnership with the the Institute of Urban Family

Medicine and ICHAP to reduce administrative burden for their providers.  Health

plans in New York can collaborate with ICHAP to help providers with standardized

developmental screening efforts using the ASQ approach.  New York City's Early

Intervention Program uses ICHAP to reach children, age 0 3, who are at risk for

delay (i.e., do not have an actual or suspected delay). The partnership with ICHAP

involves:

The PCP, who initially introduces the ASQ approach to the family, obtains their

consent to enroll the child in ICHAP, discusses ASQ results with the family at

later health visits, and takes the lead in any decision to refer the child to the Early

Intervention Program;

ICHAP, which mails the ASQs at appropriate age intervals between six months

and 27 months, scores them, and shares the results with the practitioner and the

family; and

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