This subpart implements sections 1902(a)(43) and 1905(a)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act, by prescribing State plan requirements for providing early and periodic screening and diagnosis of eligible Medicaid beneficiaries under age 21 to ascertain physical and mental defects, and providing treatment to correct or ameliorate defects and chronic conditions found.

A State plan must provide that the Medicaid agency meets the requirements of §§ 441.56-441.62, with respect to EPSDT services, as defined in § 440.40(b) of this subchapter.

(a) Informing. The agency must—

(1) Provide for a combination of written and oral methods designed to inform effectively all EPSDT eligible individuals (or their families) about the EPSDT program.

(2) Using clear and nontechnical language, provide information about the following—

(i) The benefits of preventive health care;

(ii) The services available under the EPSDT program and where and how to obtain those services;

(iii) That the services provided under the EPSDT program are without cost to eligible individuals under 18 years of age, and if the agency chooses, to those 18 or older, up to age 21, except for any enrollment fee, premium, or similar charge that may be imposed on medically needy beneficiaries; and

(iv) That necessary transportation and scheduling assistance described in § 441.62 of this subpart is available to the EPSDT eligible individual upon request.

(3) Effectively inform those individuals who are blind or deaf, or who cannot read or understand the English language.

(4) Provide assurance to CMS that processes are in place to effectively inform individuals as required under this paragraph, generally, within 60 days of the individual's initial Medicaid eligibility determination and in the case of families which have not utilized EPSDT services, annually thereafter.

(b) Screening. (1) The agency must provide to eligible EPSDT beneficiaries who request it, screening (periodic comprehensive child health assessments); that is, regularly scheduled examinations and evaluations of the general physical and mental health, growth, development, and nutritional status of infants, children, and youth. (See paragraph (c)(3) of this section for requirements relating to provision of immunization at the time of screening.) As a minimum, these screenings must include, but are not limited to:

(i) Comprehensive health and developmental history.

(ii) Comprehensive unclothed physical examination.

(iii) Appropriate vision testing.

(iv) Appropriate hearing testing.

(v) Appropriate laboratory tests.

(vi) Dental screening services furnished by direct referral to a dentist for children beginning at 3 years of age. An agency may request from CMS an exception from this age requirement (within an outer limit of age 5) for a two year period and may request additional two year exceptions. If an agency requests an exception, it must demonstrate to CMS's satisfaction that there is a shortage of dentists that prevents the agency from meeting the age 3 requirement.

(2) Screening services in paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be provided in accordance with reasonable standards of medical and dental practice determined by the agency after consultation with recognized medical and dental organizations involved in child health care.

(c) Diagnosis and treatment. In addition to any diagnostic and treatment services included in the plan, the agency must provide to eligible EPSDT beneficiaries, the following services, the need for which is indicated by screening, even if the services are not included in the plan—

(1) Diagnosis of and treatment for defects in vision and hearing, including eyeglasses and hearing aids;

(2) Dental care, at as early an age as necessary, needed for relief of pain and infections, restoration of teeth and maintenance of dental health; and

(3) Appropriate immunizations. (If it is determined at the time of screening that immunization is needed and appropriate to provide at the time of screening, then immunization treatment must be provided at that time.)

(d) Accountability. The agency must maintain as required by §§ 431.17 and 431.18—

(1) Records and program manuals;

(2) A description of its screening package under paragraph (b) of this section; and

(3) Copies of rules and policies describing the methods used to assure that the informing requirement of paragraph (a)(1) of this section is met.

(e) Timeliness. With the exception of the informing requirements specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the agency must set standards for the timely provision of EPSDT services which meet reasonable standards of medical and dental practice, as determined by the agency after consultation with recognized medical and dental organizations involved in child health care, and must employ processes to ensure timely initiation of treatment, if required, generally within an outer limit of 6 months after the request for screening services.

Under the EPSDT program, the agency may provide for any other medical or remedial care specified in part 440 of this subchapter, even if the agency does not otherwise provide for these services to other beneficiaries or provides for them in a lesser amount, duration, or scope.

The agency must implement a periodicity schedule for screening services that—

(a) Meets reasonable standards of medical and dental practice determined by the agency after consultation with recognized medical and dental organizations involved in child health care;

(b) Specifies screening services applicable at each stage of the beneficiary's life, beginning with a neonatal examination, up to the age at which an individual is no longer eligible for EPSDT services; and

(c) At the agency's option, provides for needed screening services as determined by the agency, in addition to the otherwise applicable screening services specified under paragraph (b) of this section.

(a) The agency must provide the screening services described in § 441.56(b) upon the request of an eligible beneficiary.

(b) To avoid duplicate screening services, the agency need not provide requested screening services to an EPSDT eligible if written verification exists that the most recent age-appropriate screening services, due under the agency's periodicity schedule, have already been provided to the eligible.

(a) Continuing care provider. For purposes of this subpart, a continuing care provider means a provider who has an agreement with the Medicaid agency to provide reports as required under paragraph (b) of this section and to provide at least the following services to eligible EPSDT beneficiaries formally enrolled with the provider:

(1) With the exception of dental services required under § 441.56, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and referral for follow-up services as required under this subpart.

(2) Maintenance of the beneficiary's consolidated health history, including information received from other providers.

(3) Physicians' services as needed by the beneficiary for acute, episodic or chronic illnesses or conditions.

(4) At the provider's option, provision of dental services required under § 441.56 or direct referral to a dentist to provide dental services required under § 441.56(b)(1)(vi). The provider must specify in the agreement whether dental services or referral for dental services are provided. If the provider does not choose to provide either service, then the provider must refer beneficiaries to the agency to obtain those dental services required under § 441.56.

(5) At the provider's option, provision of all or part of the transportation and scheduling assistance as required under § 441.62. The provider must specify in the agreement the transportation and scheduling assistance to be furnished. If the provider does not choose to provide some or all of the assistance, then the provider must refer beneficiaries to the agency to obtain the transportation and scheduling assistance required under § 441.62.

(b) Reports. A continuing care provider must provide to the agency any reports that the agency may reasonably require.

(c) State monitoring. If the State plan provides for agreements with continuing care providers, the agency must employ methods described in the State plan to assure the providers' compliance with their agreements.

(d) Effect of agreement with continuing care providers. Subject to the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section, CMS will deem the agency to meet the requirements of this subpart with respect to all EPSDT eligible beneficiaries formally enrolled with the continuing care provider. To be formally enrolled, a beneficiary or beneficiary's family agrees to use one continuing care provider to be a regular source of the described set of services for a stated period of time. Both the beneficiary and the provider must sign statements that reflect their obligations under the continuing care arrangement.

(e) If the agreement in paragraph (a) of this section does not provide for all or part of the transportation and scheduling assistance required under § 441.62, or for dental service under § 441.56, the agency must provide for those services to the extent they are not provided for in the agreement.

(a) The agency must provide referral assistance for treatment not covered by the plan, but found to be needed as a result of conditions disclosed during screening and diagnosis. This referral assistance must include giving the family or beneficiary the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of providers who have expressed a willingness to furnish uncovered services at little or no expense to the family.

(b) The agency must make available a variety of individual and group providers qualified and willing to provide EPSDT services.

(c) The agency must make appropriate use of State health agencies, State vocational rehabilitation agencies, and Title V grantees (Maternal and Child Health/Crippled Children's Services). Further, the agency should make use of other public health, mental health, and education programs and related programs, such as Head Start, Title XX (Social Services) programs, and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), to ensure an effective child health program.

The agency must offer to the family or beneficiary, and provide if the beneficiary requests—

(a) Necessary assistance with transportation as required under § 431.53 of this chapter; and

(b) Necessary assistance with scheduling appointments for services.