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43.1.1 Overview
The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) service is Medicaid's comprehensive preventive child health service for individuals birth through 20 years of age. In Texas, EPSDT is known as the THSteps program. EPSDT was defined by federal law as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1989 legislation and includes periodic screening, vision, hearing, and dental preventive and treatment services. In addition, Section 1905(r)(5) of the Social Security Act (SSA) requires that any medically necessary health-care service listed in the Act be provided to THSteps (EPSDT) clients even if the service is not available under the state's Medicaid plan to the rest of the Medicaid population. A service is medically necessary when it corrects or ameliorates the client's disability, physical, or mental illness, or chronic condition. These additional services are available through the Comprehensive Care Program (CCP). THSteps-CCP services are the diagnosis and treatment components of THSteps. For questions about coverage, providers can call THSteps-CCP at 1-800-846-7470.
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