Focus Area One: Engaging schools in Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) outreach, enrollment and retention activities (3 awards)
AZ ($495,596) Native American Community Health Center
This project will build on the Native American Community Health Center's (Native Health) ongoing efforts to provide enrollment assistance in primary care clinics and at a major shopping mall. The grant will allow Native Health to work with American Indian Program Liaisons in school districts throughout the Phoenix metro area, where large numbers of American Indian children attend school. Native Health will leverage existing relationships with schools, such as with diabetes prevention education programs and after-school youth empowerment programs, to expand outreach and assistance navigating the state's online application, Health-e-Arizona.
MT ($483,828) Billings Area Indian Health Services
Organization Type: Indian Health Service
This project will reach out to American Indian children living on tribal reservations in Montana and Wyoming. A variety of strategies will be used to identify children who may be eligible for Medicaid and CHIP, including use of free and reduced-price school lunch information, activities at school sports events, school health events and parent-teacher conferences. Program coordinators will follow up with enrollment assistance.
CA ($130,001) Karuk Tribe
Organization Type: Tribe
The grant will enable a Community Health Worker to engage Family Resource Centers and the tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agency in outreach and enrollment activities. School superintendents and principals have already signed on to a Family Fun and Fitness week that will feature activities aimed at improving nutrition, fitness and enrollment in health insurance. Other tribal activities, such as the Karuk Tribal Reunion, will help promote these activities as well.
Focus Area Two: Incorporating Medicaid and CHIP health coverage outreach and enrollment into routine activities of programs administered by tribal agencies (3 awards)
AK ($500,000) South Central Foundation
Organization Type: Tribal organization
South Central Foundation (SCF) serves Alaska Natives and American Indians living in Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and nearby villages. The activities under this grant will be statewide with a focus on the Anchorage area. South Central Foundation will help partners, such as the Cook Inlet Tribal Council's Employment and Training Program, incorporate use of SCF's "IQualify" software, an eligibility and enrollment tool, into their routine activities. In addition, a mobile unit staffed by Health Benefits Specialists will make quarterly visits to Native-serving organizations.
OK ($417,205) Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Organization Type: Tribe
The Choctaw Nation's tribal outreach services division will partner with the Choctaw Nation's Health Services Authority to conduct children's health coverage outreach and enrollment activities with a host of programs that already provide health services and health education, including: home visiting programs, Support for Pregnant and Parenting Teens, Head Start, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, rural wellness centers and others.
AK ($285,534) Kenaitze Indian Tribe
Organization Type: Tribe
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe will expand and enhance existing benefits coordination activities to increase the number of children and adults enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. At the Dena'ina Wellness Center staff members equipped with laptops will be available to help individuals enroll and newly enrolled individuals will be able to get care at the center. The grant will enable the tribe to encourage and boost referrals from a wide range of programs such as Head Start, WIC, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), housing, job training and tax preparation sites, which are likely to be serving individuals and families eligible for health coverage through Medicaid and CHIP.
Focus Area Three: Ensuring that eligible American Indian and Alaska Native teens are enrolled and stay covered under Medicaid and CHIP (4 awards)
OK ($448,765) Indian Health Resource Center
This project focuses on using various advertising and marketing approaches to outreach and enrollment. In addition to using traditional media, the project will engage youth in the development of social media activities that will include use of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Indian Health Resource Center staffs are trained to deliver Medicaid and CHIP enrollment assistance and are also certified application counselors. Advertising and media stories will connect the target audience to their services.
MS ($435,298) Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Organization Type: Tribe
This project will educate parents and teenagers about the benefits of Medicaid and CHIP. Community social events, school activities and public service announcements in both English and the Choctaw language will promote health coverage enrollment. In addition, potentially eligible children will be identified through the school lunch application process at Choctaw Tribal Schools and application assistance will be provided.
NM ($383,152) Santo Domingo Pueblo
Organization Type: Tribe
This project will focus on increasing Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and retention among eligible teens. Eligible teens and their family members will be reached through door-to-door contacts, referrals and community events.
CA ($285,629) Southern Indian Health Council
Organization Type: Tribal organization
Southern Indian Health Council is located in rural southeast San Diego County. The project will create an education campaign to promote Medi-Cal through in-school activities, after school activities and other wellness events. As part of these activities, patient advocates will help families complete applications either over the phone or at the clinics.