Successfully integrating obesity prevention, assessment, and treatment can be challenging. Some practice management resources to support integration of obesity care into the office are highlighted in this section.

Focus on a Fitter Future: A Survival Guide
Planning, Building, and Sustaining a Pediatric Obesity Program
Published by National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This guide focuses on practical strategies and tactics that have proven successful across the country with institutions that want to start, grow or sustain an obesity program or clinic. To visit the html version click here.

Obesity Coding Fact Sheet
The Task Force on Obesity, the Committee on Coding and Nomenclature, and the Private Sector Advocacy Advisory Committee developed an Obesity Coding Fact Sheet to help pediatricians and other health care professionals with coding for obesity-related health care services.

Obesity Coding Fact Sheet Appendix
The Obesity Coding Fact Sheet Appendix maps the appropriate codes to the stages recommended in the AAP endorsed Expert Panel Recommendations.

Evaluation and Treatment
Sample carrier letter regarding the bundling of services related to obesity evaluation and treatment.

AAP Hassle Factor Form
If you encounter insurance administrative and claims processing concerns regarding obesity prevention, assessment or treatment, please complete the hassle factor form.

Practice Support
The Academy's online home for the best pediatric practice management information, tools, and resources for pediatricians and their office staff.

• QuIINovation Exchange
  QuIINovation Exchange is an opportunity for QuIIN members to regularly communicate with other network members. It is a chance for QuIIN members to obtain feedback on their innovations (ideas, strategies, and tools) and provide feedback on other members' innovations. There is a discussion thread focused on obesity.

The Childhood Obesity Action Network (COAN)
COAN is a Web-based national network, coordinated by the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality aimed at rapidly sharing knowledge, successful practices and innovation by:

• Mobilizing and inspiring health care providers to accelerate improvements in care and advocate for change
• Partnering with a broad constituency of health professionals, quality improvement leaders, childhood obesity experts, and child health advocates.
• Designing and disseminating policy interventions that will enhance the ability of the healthcare system to address the obesity challenge
• Providing tools and technical assistance to improve clinical care
• Focusing on strategies to reduce health disparities and provide culturally effective care for all families
• Committing to evaluating, learning, and sharing evidence-informed strategies.

Articles of Interest

Analysis Shows Existing Medicaid Benefit Codes Cover Childhood Obesity-Related Health Care Treatment
Summary document of two studies analyzing whether 1) Medicaid could cover preventative health services for children at risk for obesity and 2) whether Medicaid's payment practices support recommended clinical practice.

Over the course of both studies, researchers reported three key findings:

• Medicaid, under its Early & Periodic Screening & Diagnostic Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, can cover comprehensive, obesity-related pediatric health care services. No new legislation or guidance is needed. (ID# 052240)
• Every service needed to provide quality childhood obesity prevention services according to clinical guidelines in use as of 2005 has an existing code for provider reimbursement. No new codes are needed. (ID# 053842)
• Most state Medicaid manuals do not provide clear or adequate information about coverage levels and appropriate reimbursement codes for specific elements of care. Providers, therefore, remain uncertain about which services they can provide and if they can be reimbursed. (ID# 053842)

Strategies for Improving Access to Comprehensive Obesity Prevention and Treatment Services for Medicaid-Enrolled - Policy Brief
This report examines the extent to which state programs use the Medicaid EPSDT benefit to address and finance obesity-related services that advance best-practice standards in obesity prevention, treatment and management in children.