What is EPSDT?

EPSDT refers to Early Prevention, Screening, Detection, and Treatment — a set of rules from the federal government that requires states to cover more services for children who have Medicaid than they do for adults.

One benefit of EPSDT is coverage for in-home or private-duty nursing care, which private insurance rarely covers. In California, this means that children with Medi-Cal coverage don’t usually have to enroll in any special programs like the HCBA waiver to access nursing care at home when medically necessary.