The Children’s Health Coverage Committee, a partnership of several federal agencies and non-profit groups working on children’s health issues, will be launching a “Back to School Campaign” to promote CHIP and Medicaid outreach and enrollment in 20 cities around the country.  The Back to School Campaign will run from mid-September through October. Participating federal agencies include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department of Justice.  The United Way of America (UWA), the Children’s Defense Fund and others are coordinating the Back to School Campaign.  The goal of the project is to raise awareness about the availability of free or low-cost health coverage for children by coordinating local outreach activities around the time when children will be returning to school.  The participating federal agencies will initiate media campaigns including Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) and posters that will be available to participating cities.

The following cities have organizations participating in the Back to School Campaign: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Highpoint (North Carolina), Indianapolis, Kansas City (Missouri), Macon, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Richmond, San Antonio, Sioux City, St. Louis, Topeka, and Washington, DC.  For more information contact Ilsa Flannigan at United Way, at 800-892-2757, ext. 817, or Desmond Brown at the Children’s Defense Fund at 202-662-3561.

Robert Wood Johnson Covering Kids Grantees

Covering Kids is a $47 million program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help increase the number of eligible children who benefit from health insurance coverage programs.  Almost every state (except South Dakota) applied for and received funding under this program.  The three-year grants will support local coalitions that conduct outreach initiatives and work toward enrollment simplification and coordination of health coverage programs for low-income children.  For a list of who to call in your state, check the Covering Kids Web site: www.coveringkids.org .  If you do not have access to the Internet please call Crystal Swann, Assistant Executive Director with the USCM at 202-861-6707, or Laura Hessburg, State and Local Liaison with the Children’s Defense Fund at 202-662-3564.

HCFA/HRSA Outreach and Enrollment Partnership

The HRSA/HCFA (Health Resources and Services Administration/Health Care Financing Administration) Outreach and Enrollment Partnership is designed to increase the number of people who have access to a regular source of care, as well as increase Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, and Medicare enrollment. Funding will be available to Primary Care Associations (PCA’s) and Primary Care Offices (PCO’s). Grants are awarded and evaluated based on the following criteria:

Successful efforts and strategies to increase insurance coverage through CHIP, Medicaid, and Medicare in working with:  1) Federally Qualified Health Centers, School-Based Health Centers, schools, and senior centers or organizations to increase enrollment, 2) State government leadership on promoting policies that will contribute to coverage such as simplified applications, dropping assets tests, 12-month continuous coverage, outstationing of State eligibility workers, presumptive eligibility, monitoring and intervention on disenrollment and State outreach plans;  and 3) Populations that have particularly low health insurance coverage in the State (national data demonstrates the need to target minorities, particularly,  Latinos and immigrant families). 

Successful efforts and strategies to increase appropriate utilization of safety net health systems especially by individuals that are not eligible for coverage through publicly funded insurance programs.  Particularly focus on collaborative efforts with: 1) Safety net providers such as health centers, National Health Service Corps sites, health departments, community mental health providers, public hospitals etc.; and 2) Groups that reach the uninsured, especially men and immigrants, to increase awareness of existing safety net providers and highlight the importance of primary and preventive health care. For more information regarding the Outreach and Enrollment Partnership please contact: Joy H. Kauffman by phone at 301-594-5112 or e-mail Jkauffman@hrsa.gov

FACTS AT A GLANCE

• Over 11 million children (one out of every seven) have no health insurance.

• Almost one out of two uninsured children is white; almost one out of five is black; and almost three in 10 are Hispanic.

• Nine out of 10 uninsured children live in working families.

• Less than half of all uninsured children with Asthma see a doctor, according to a national study.

• One in three uninsured children with recurring ear infections never see a doctor, according to a one-year national study.  Many go on to suffer permanent hearing loss.

• In 1997, 6.8 million more children lack private health insurance than did in 1989.

• Infant mortality has reached an all-time low at 7.1 deaths per 1,000 births, but the rate is still more than twice as high for Black children as for White children.