November 24, 2025
Introduction
Most children with disabilities need medical care, therapies, or equipment–often all three–to thrive. For some, without these services provided in their homes, they are forced to grow up in facilities, away from their families and communities. Private insurance, even when affordable, provides only very limited coverage for the needs of the most vulnerable children. Medicaid, fortunately, has been able to fill in many of the gaps. While staff shortages have still left too many children without needed care, Medicaid has enabled family life for hundreds, if not thousands of Pennsylvania children. Preserving this safety net for children requires certain provisions of Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid) to be adequately funded – specifically, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment services, or EPSDT, defined at 42 USC § 1396d(r), and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), defined at 42 USC § 1396n(c). To learn more, click here.