Medicaid’s Well Child Check-Up program is officially known as the Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment program. EPSDT is a mandated program that is designed to find children with actual or potential health problems and to screen, diagnose and treat the problems before they become permanent, lifelong disabilities. The program also offers preventive health services to Medicaid-eligible children under 21 years of age.
| Acronym | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Early | A Medicaid-eligible child should begin to receive high quality preventive health care as early as possible in life. |
| Periodic | Preventive health care occurring at regular intervals according to an established schedule that meets reasonable standards of medical, vision, hearing and dental practice established by recognized professional organizations. |
| Screening | An unclothed physical examination using quick, simple procedures to sort out apparently well children from those who have a disease, condition or abnormality, and to identify those who may need further diagnosis, evaluation and/or treatment of their physical and mental problems. |
| Diagnosis | The determination of the nature or cause of physical or mental disease, conditions, or abnormalities identified during a screening. |
| Treatment | Any type of health care or other measures provided to correct or improve defects, physical and mental illnesses, or chronic conditions identified during a screening. |
| Operating Agency |
|---|
Alabama Department of Public Health |