HHS Awards Over $49 Million in Funding for 36 Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS 2022 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), awarded $49 million in cooperative agreements to 36 organizations in 20 states authorized under the Helping Ensure Access for Little Ones, Toddlers, and Hopeful Youth by Keeping Insurance Delivery Stable Act of 2017 (HEALTHY KIDS Act). In support of President Biden’s Executive Orders on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s priority of expanding access to affordable, quality health care, these awards represent the largest investment CMS has ever made in outreach and enrollment through the Connecting Kids to Coverage program.
Grantees will provide enrollment and renewal assistance to children and their families, and — for the first time ever — to expectant parents to promote improved maternal and infant health outcomes. Grantees — including state and local governments, tribal organizations, federal health safety net organizations, non-profits, and schools — will each receive up to $1.5 million over three years to advance Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and retention.
The HEALTHY KIDS Act provides continued funding for outreach and enrollment to reduce the number of children eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid and CHIP by working with organizations on the frontlines to reduce uninsured rates and connect more children, parents, and families to health care coverage.
Award Summary
Alaska: Southcentral Foundation ($1,500,000)
Southcentral Foundation (SCF) is an Alaska Native nonprofit health care organization that provides services to 65,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) residing in Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and the surrounding 55 rural villages in south-central Alaska. SCF is a previous grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage AI/AN Outreach and Enrollment program. SCF will focus on enrolling Medicaid- and CHIP)-eligible AI/AN children, parents, and pregnant individuals residing in urban and rural communities. The grantee’s key partners include youth and homeless shelters, schools, health clinics, community sites, the United Way, and Alaska’s Division of Health Care Services. SCF will focus on school-based outreach and expand enrollment assistance activities by using parent mentors and participating in a partnership referral network.
Arizona: Arizona Association of Community Health Centers ($1,500,000)
Arizona Association of Community Health Centers (AACHC), a previous grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a nonprofit that serves as Arizona’s Primary Care Organization and partners with eight Community Health Centers and three community-based organizations. AACHC’s efforts will focus on urban counties of Maricopa and Pima and three rural counties, Coconino, Mohave, and Santa Cruz. AACHC will continue to work with 11 partners, including 8 Federally Qualified Health Centers and three community-based organizations. Under AACHC’s guidance, the partners will develop outreach and enrollment plans. Key outreach strategies include building relationships with school staff to generate referrals, disseminating printed materials at schools, and using radio and printed materials to increase awareness about the importance of Medicaid and CHIP coverage. The grantee also will use parent mentors and community health workers to provide outreach and application assistance.
California: Alameda Health Consortium ($1,500,000)
Alameda Health Consortium, Inc., a previous grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a nonprofit association of eight Federally Qualified Health Centers that will focus on the enrollment and retention of children, parents, and pregnant individuals eligible for Medicaid and CHIP in Alameda County. Strategies include providing culturally tailored one-on-one application assistance at health centers and community locations, disseminating information about Medicaid and CHIP coverage at school-based health centers, and contacting families with children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP to help them renew their coverage. Alameda Health Consortium will partner with the county’s Medicaid managed care plans and the Community Health Center Network to extend the effectiveness of enrollment and retention strategies.
California: AltaMed Health Services Corporation ($1,499,956)
AltaMed Health Services Corporation, a Federally Qualified Health Center, is a first-time grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. The grantee will focus on increasing Medicaid and CHIP enrollment among uninsured children, their parents, and pregnant individuals from predominantly Latinx communities in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, AltaMed will conduct outreach to pregnant individuals at hospitals and to families at partner schools, businesses, and community organizations. Application and renewal assistance will be provided in Spanish, and families will be connected to community ambassadors for assistance in accessing community resources and services.
California: California Coverage and Health Initiatives ($1,500,000)
California Coverage and Health Initiatives (CCHI), a new grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a statewide association of outreach and enrollment organizations working to help families get access to, use, and maintain affordable health care. CCHI and its six community-based partner organizations will focus on enrolling Medicaid and CHIP eligible Latinos, immigrants, Native Americans, and other populations with high rates of uninsured children in eight southern California counties (Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Ventura). Outreach to families includes back-to-school activities, year-round outreach at community events, and through partnerships with hospitals, clinics, family resource centers, county agencies, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices, and schools. Health access assisters and community-based promotores will provide application, enrollment, and renewal assistance.
California: Community Clinics Health Network ($1,500,000)
Community Clinics Health Network, a prior grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a consortium of six Federally Qualified Health Centers in San Diego and Riverside Counties. The grantee will focus on enrolling and renewing Medicaid and CHIP coverage for children in the San Diego metro region. The consortium will collaborate with schools, community-based organizations, family resource centers, and faith-based groups to expand its in-person outreach activities. Certified Enrollment Counselors will be employed to identify eligible, uninsured children and provide clinic in-reach and community outreach activities.
California: Family Health Centers of San Diego, Inc. ($1,500,000)
Family Health Centers of San Diego, Inc. (FHCSD), a previous grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is one of the nation’s 10 largest Federally Qualified Health Centers. FHCSD will conduct Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment assistance in urban regions of San Diego County. The grantee will utilize targeted social marketing, including using technology to target digital ads to potentially Medicaid and CHIP eligible individuals based on their location, that encourages individuals to visit the grantee’s website or call the grantee’s hotline to receive enrollment assistance services. FHSCD will partner with several community-based organizations to conduct outreach at COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, school-based health centers, Head Start centers, and youth service organizations. The grantee will also contact, educate, and offer Medicaid and CHIP application assistance to patients at its health centers, focusing on pediatric and prenatal patients. Patient Engagement Specialists hired by the project will assist with enrollment.
California: Redwood Community Health Coalition ($1,500,000)
Redwood Community Health Coalition (RCHC), a new grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a community-based organization composed of 19 member organizations, including 17 community health centers, a wellness education site, and a mobile health clinic. Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment assistance will focus on communities in the six-county region of Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo Counties. Outreach strategies will include the use of social media and ads on radio, during movie theater previews, on television, and on buses to raise awareness about the importance of health care coverage and the Medicaid and CHIP programs. Partners that include schools, churches, childcare providers, immigration services organizations, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices, and emergency food providers will disseminate promotional materials virtually and at community events and refer potentially eligible people to the grantee. RCHC will use Certified Enrollment Counselors at RCHC member health centers to provide application assistance, enrollment, and renewal services.
California: Santa Barbara County Education Office ($1,500,000)
Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO), a nonprofit organization that provides services to 20 school districts, is a new HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. This grantee will focus on outreach and enrollment efforts on Latinx children, parents, and pregnant individuals in Santa Barbara County. SBCEO is partnering with two Federally Qualified Health Centers and five Family Resource Centers. These partners will conduct Medicaid and CHIP outreach in community settings that include churches, schools, and social service sites, screen for Medicaid and CHIP eligibility at preschools and public schools, and create and disseminate messages through social media and Spanish-language radio and television. Parent mentors and community health workers will provide Medicaid and CHIP application and enrollment assistance.
Colorado: La Raza Services, Inc. ($1,500,000)
La Raza Services, Inc., a community-based organization, is a first-time grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. The grantee will focus providing outreach and application assistance to uninsured Latinx children, parents, and pregnant individuals statewide. Medicaid and CHIP Promotoras will provide in-person outreach and enrollment events at partner clinics and schools. One-on-one virtual application and enrollment assistance will also be provided. Medicaid and CHIP-eligible individuals will be referred to the grantee for application assistance from other La Raza Services, Inc.’s programs and from hospital social workers. A media campaign for Spanish-language radio and television will expand La Raza Services, Inc.’s outreach within the Latinx community.
Connecticut: Community Health Center, Inc. ($1,449,820)
Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI). a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves low-income patients across Connecticut, is a new grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. CHCI will focus its Medicaid and CHIP outreach, application assistance, enrollment, and renewal efforts on existing CHCI patients, including children, parents, and pregnant individuals. CHCI will use mass text–based outreach campaigns, conduct outreach events at partner schools, and use community health workers to provide application assistance.
Florida: Florida Legal Services, Inc. ($1,500,000
Florida Legal Services, Inc. (FLS), a first-time HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a nonprofit organization that provides legal and advocacy services for low-income and vulnerable populations. FLS will provide application assistance to children, parents, and pregnant individuals for Medicaid and CHIP enrollments and renewals. Outreach and enrollment efforts will be focused on the Big Bend region in north-central Florida, a primarily rural area with high poverty rates, and Orange and Osceola Counties in central Florida, an area with a large Latinx population. Both regions include a high number of uninsured individuals. Strategies to increase health care coverage include holding in-person outreach events, posting frequently on social media to create interest in the Medicaid and CHIP programs, generating referrals from community partners that include schools, domestic violence shelters, and community health centers, and conducting in-reach to existing FLS program clients.
Florida: University of South Florida ($1,500,000)
Florida Covering Kids and Families (FL-CKF) is a community-based nonprofit initiative of the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida, is a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. FL-CKF will build on previous work in conducting outreach at schools, children’s hospitals, urgent care centers, and other community organizations to reach diverse populations with high rates of uninsurance. Key strategies include developing partnerships with organizations serving limited English proficiency populations, pregnant or postpartum individuals, and other vulnerable populations to conduct outreach and education with these populations. Social media campaigns will emphasize the importance of health coverage for children, and new application assistance sites will be developed by the grantee at schools, military and veteran service agencies, and community organizations.
Georgia: Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, Inc. ($1,500,000)
The Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, Inc. (GAPHC), a community-based organization representing 34 Federally Qualified Health Centers throughout Georgia, is a new grantee to the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. GAPHC will provide outreach, application assistance, and enrollment services statewide to uninsured children, parents, and pregnant individuals. The grantee will provide targeted services for Asian and Latinx communities through partnerships with the Center for Pan-Asian Community Services and the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia. Key strategies include conducting outreach in community settings such as schools, libraries, Title X family planning clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers; advertising on Spanish-language radio and television; and posting on social media. Parent mentors and enrollment specialists will assist eligible people with Medicaid and CHIP applications.
Illinois: Midwest Asian Health Association ($1,500,000)
The Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA), a first-time grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a non-profit organization that provides community education, health care, and policy advocacy services. MAHA will target Asian and Latinx families in the Chicago metro area through partnerships with faith-based organizations, local universities, community colleges, technical schools, food pantries, obstetrics and gynecology providers, social services agencies, and other community-based organizations. MAHA will provide Medicaid and CHIP outreach and application assistance along with assistance in accessing program benefits through its bilingual Navigator team. Key strategies include attending Back-to-School fairs, street festivals, and posting on social media.
Indiana: Indiana Rural Health Association, Inc. ($1,454,878)
Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA), a nonprofit state-based rural health organization, is a prior grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. IRHA will partner with four Federally Qualified Health Centers, one community health center, a drug and alcohol treatment center, a nurse-family partnership that supports pregnant individuals, and Covering Kids and Families of Indiana, which has contracts with organizations that offer health insurance navigator services to Indiana residents. IRHA and its partners will expand application assistance efforts in rural communities to enroll and renew eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals in Medicaid and CHIP. IRHA will co-host in-person outreach events with partners and ask partners to cross-post IRHA’s social media content that promotes Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Partners also will provide warm handoffs of Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible individuals to IRHA’s four Enrollment Professionals/Indiana Navigators for one-on-one application assistance.
Kansas: GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc. ($1,500,000)
GraceMed Health Clinic, Inc., a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a Federally Qualified Health Center, with a network of 16 primary care clinics. Grace Med will promote the importance of Medicaid and CHIP coverage by participating in back-to-school activities, using targeted messaging in printed and online media, and hosting public events. GraceMed will partner with schools, local offices of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, community-based organizations, and social service agencies to provide clients with information and refer Medicaid and CHIP-eligible children and adults to health navigators. The grantee’s community outreach representatives and health navigators will provide one-on-one enrollment and renewal assistance to children, parents, and pregnant individuals in 29-counties.
Kansas: Thrive Allen County ($1,499,999)
Thrive Allen County (TAC), a nonprofit rural health advocacy organization, is a new grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. TAC will work with partners such as schools, health centers, and community organizations in conducting outreach to Medicaid and CHIP-eligible individuals in 64 predominantly rural Kansas counties. The experience of TAC’s partners will help children, parents, and pregnant individuals in overcoming barriers to Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, such as limited English proficiency and transportation challenges. TAC will recruit parent mentors to assist with the Medicaid and CHIP application process.
Michigan: Greater Flint Health Coalition, Inc. ($1,468,010)
The Greater Flint Health Coalition, Inc. (GFHC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of Genesee County residents, is a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. GFHC will focus on Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals from Genesee County, which includes the city of Flint. GFHC will build on efforts such as conducting in-reach to uninsured clients from other GFHC assistance programs, using parent mentors to conduct outreach, and working with trusted community partners to educate and enroll eligible families in Medicaid and CHIP. The grantee will partner with the Genesee Intermediate School District, Hamilton Community Health Network, Genesee Health Plan, and Mott Children’s Health Center to host in-person and virtual events. GFHC also will provide in-person application assistance at partner clinics.
Missouri: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri ($798,638)
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a nonprofit legal aid organization serving low-income and immigrant families in 21 Missouri counties. The grantee will focus on children, especially those who are homeless or living in immigrant families, their parents, and pregnant individuals within the St. Louis metropolitan area and in eastern Missouri. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri will continue working with school nurses, counselors, social workers, and other health-focused community partners to reach clients. In addition to direct Medicaid and CHIP in-person enrollment and renewal assistance, the grantee will use a case management platform to offer virtual help through email, telephone call, and text.
Missouri: Swope Health Services ($739,918)
Swope Health Services, a new HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Swope Health Services will focus on enrolling Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals in four western Missouri counties: Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte. The grantee’s outreach and enrollment assistance strategies include conducting outreach campaigns in collaboration with community organizations, creating a social media campaign, and training Medicaid Application Assistance teams to provide outreach and application assistance. Swope Health Services will partner with Early Head Start centers, Kansas City Public Schools, and nonprofit organizations to disseminate information about Medicaid and CHIP and offer application assistance to partners’ clients.
Ohio: Healthsource of Ohio ($1,042,291)
Healthsource of Ohio (HSO), a first-time HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides comprehensive primary care services throughout eight urban and rural counties in southwest Appalachian Ohio. HSO will increase Medicaid and CHIP enrollment for children, adults, and pregnant individuals in these counties using several strategies. HSO will build partnerships with school staff and assign Certified Assistance Counselors to participate in back-to-school events. HSO will attend community events and conduct social and mass media marketing campaigns. In addition, the grantee conduct in-reach at its 15 clinic sites to identify uninsured patients who are Medicaid- or CHIP-eligible. HSO’s partners include Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices and state government agencies.
Ohio: Ohio Association of Foodbanks ($1,399,757)
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a new HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. This community-based organization works with the Feed America Foodbanks and a broad network of other hunger relief agencies. This grantee will target children, parents, and pregnant individuals in Franklin County from groups more likely to be uninsured, such as those who are Latinx, have limited English proficiency, and have low educational attainment. Outreach strategies include conducting social and mass media campaigns, partnering with schools, clinics, social service agencies, and refugee and immigrant organizations to generate referrals, and using a trained Consumer Advisory Board to implement outreach activities. The grantee will use outreach and enrollment specialists to provide one-on-one in-person or virtual assistance to Medicaid and CHIP-eligible eligible individuals. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ partners include the Columbus Early Learning Centers, Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio.
Oklahoma: Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc. ($1,500,000)
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO), a new HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance to low-income individuals. LASO will focus on enrolling children, parents, and pregnant individuals in 20 Oklahoma counties with disproportionately high poverty rates. LASO will focus on providing Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment assistance services to American Indian tribal members, Latinos, African Americans, rural residents, and the LGBTQIA+ population. LASO will partner with churches, local businesses, schools, rural community health centers, and rural community behavioral health centers to conduct outreach. Outreach activities in schools will include events such as back-to-school fairs and the distribution of printed materials. The grantee will also conduct marketing campaigns using social and mass media and participate in community events like health fairs or festivals. Navigators will provide one-on-one virtual or in-person application assistance.
Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Health Access Network ($957,714)
The Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN), a first-time HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a statewide community-based organization that works to improve Pennsylvanians’ health care access. PHAN will focus its Medicaid and CHIP enrollment efforts on children, adults, and pregnant individuals in Adams, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, and Perry Counties, which have a disproportionate number of uninsured individuals. PHAN will reach Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible individuals via text messages, postcards, and digital and mass media advertising. PHAN also will create a statewide referral network of pediatric offices, school nurses, home visiting programs, juvenile justice agencies, community-based organizations, and legal service offices. PHAN will train frontline staff working in these organizations to identify uninsured individuals and connect them to PHAN’s team to complete the enrollment assistance process. Key partners of PHAN include the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Maternity Care Coalition, and Healthy Start, Inc. Pittsburgh.
South Carolina: CareSouth Carolina, Inc. ($664,179)
CareSouth Carolina Inc. (CSC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary, preventive, and integrated behavioral health care. CSC is a first-time grantee to the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program. CSC will focus on Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment for uninsured children, parents, and pregnant individuals from American Indian, Black, Latinx, and non–English speaking populations from five rural counties: Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Lee, and Marlboro. CSC will utilize bilingual Community Health Workers and leverage partnerships with state agencies, local school districts, social service organizations, and the Pee Dee Indian tribe to connect with and educate these communities and increase enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP. The grantee will conduct in-person outreach events at partner sites, including schools. CSC will increase awareness about the importance of Medicaid and CHIP coverage using social media and advertisements on radio, billboards, and in print media. Community Health Workers will provide individualized in-person and virtual application assistance to Medicaid and CHIP-eligible children and adults.
Tennessee: Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation ($1,492,500)
Structured Employment Economic Development Corp (Seedco), a previous HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a national nonprofit organization that will target Fayette, Haywood, Shelby and Tipton Counties, which includes the city of Memphis. The project will focus on enrolling children of young parents, Latinx children, children living in rural areas, and pregnant individuals. Seedco will partner with county and community-based organizations such as health departments, a child welfare agency, a charter school system, and Latino Memphis to assist with organizing presentations, identifying eligible individuals, and providing Seedco with space to meet with individuals and assess Medicaid and CHIP eligibility. Seedco will use Enrollment Assisters from local communities, including at least two bilingual Spanish-speaking enrollment assisters to conduct outreach and provide enrollment assistance.
Tennessee: Tennessee Justice Center ($1,030,268)
Tennessee Justice Center (TJC), a new HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee, is a nonprofit organization that works with health care providers, social service agencies, and state-based organizations throughout Tennessee. TJC will focus on educating and enrolling Tennessee’s rural populations, immigrant communities, and communities of color about Medicaid and CHIP. TJC will partner with health care providers, food banks, schools, churches, and childcare agencies that will provide referrals for application assistance for parents and children. The grantee will conduct social media and direct mail campaigns, host community events, and disseminate information through TJC coalition members to educate families about the importance of health coverage through Medicaid and CHIP and provide application assistance for enrollment and renewal.
Texas: Bexar County Hospital District ($1,500,000)
Bexar County Hospital District, a prior grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a health care provider that operates an acute care hospital and has an extensive network of community outpatient and inpatient facilities and school-based health clinics throughout Bexar County. The grantee will partner with county school districts, community food banks, and health centers to educate parents living in Bexar County and in the six surrounding counties about the importance of health care coverage for themselves and their children and provide referrals for follow-up screening and Medicaid and CHIP eligibility services. Project staff will provide one-on-one education and application and enrollment assistance in multiple languages through a combination of virtual and in-person settings.
Texas: Change Happens ($1,500,000)
Change Happens, a community-based organization serving the Black community in Texas’ Greater Gulf Coast Region, is a new HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. The grantee will focus on increasing Medicaid and CHIP enrollment among Black and Latinx children and pregnant individuals in Harris County, which includes the Houston metropolitan area. The grantee’s outreach strategies include hosting or participating in outreach events, such as the Back-to-School Fair, and creating a public awareness campaign using billboards, TV, radio, and social media. Change Happens will train staff from its other programs and Houston Independent School District staff to refer potentially Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible individuals to the grantee’s application assisters. The grantee will provide individualized application assistance virtually or in convenient locations for to the target population, such as clinics or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices.
Texas: Children’s Defense Fund ($832,887)
Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Texas, a prior grantee with the HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a nonprofit policy advocacy organization focused on children’s issues. The grantee will implement outreach efforts to increase Medicaid and CHIP enrollment of uninsured children, with a focus on Latinx children residing in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties in the Rio Grande Valley and Cherokee, Gregg, Rusk, and Smith Counties in rural East Texas. CDF Texas’ outreach strategies include producing bilingual radio and television campaigns, planning and participating in back-to-school events at schools and early childhood education centers, and hosting outreach events in public settings, such as libraries, in targeted communities. Bilingual community outreach workers will provide individualized application and renewal assistance to families at CDF Texas offices, community locations such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices, and at outreach events. CDF’s partners, such as school districts, childcare providers, and churches, will refer potentially eligible children and adults to CDF Texas’ application assisters.
Texas: Community Action Corporation of South Texas ($1,500,000)
Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST), a previous grantee with the Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is a nonprofit organization that will target 11 counties in south Texas: Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kleberg, San Patricio, and Willacy. CACOST will focus on educating families that are predominantly low-income and Latinx about the importance of health care coverage and identifying Medicaid and CHIP eligible individuals. The grantee will employ six Navigators to provide outreach and application assistance at local health fairs, schools, and community events.
Texas: Community Council of Greater Dallas ($1,489,773)
Community Council of Greater Dallas, a previous grantee with the Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program, is an integrated health and social services agency serving families in Dallas and Tarrant Counties in North Texas. The grantee will focus on educating and enrolling children, parents, and pregnant individuals in rural and urban areas who are Latinx, African American, or have limited English proficiency. The grantee will partner with organizational members of the Dallas CHIP Coalition, Dallas Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clinics, churches, and other community organizations in conducting outreach, hosting education and outreach events, and in providing referrals to local community resource providers. Trained application assisters, with at least two being bilingual, will provide individuals with one-on-one application assistance.
Texas: MHP Salud ($1,233,070)
MHP Salud, a national nonprofit organization that seeks to improve Latinx access to health care and social services, is a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. MHP Salud will focus on increasing the number of eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP in Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, and Willacy Counties. To promote MHP Salud’s Medicaid and CHIP application assistance services, MHP Salud will participate in phone-a-thons on local Spanish radio stations. Additional outreach strategies include providing information at health fairs, libraries, and other community settings, attending back-to-school events, and training public-school children’s parents to refer potentially Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible individuals to the grantee. MHP Salud’s Community Health Workers will lead community outreach and provide culturally and linguistically tailored application assistance during home visits with clients.
Utah: Utah Health Policy Project ($1,495,396)
The Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP), a community-based organization that aims to increase health care access, affordability, and quality for Utahns, is a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. The grantee will focus on providing Medicaid and CHIP enrollment assistance to uninsured Latinx children, parents, and pregnant individuals in Salt Lake, Summit, and Utah Counties. Outreach strategies include hosting events in schools, clinics, and Head Start locations; creating social media campaigns; and working with parent mentors to educate parents about the benefits of Medicaid and CHIP coverage. UHPP’s Health Access Assisters will work one on one with clients, either in person or virtually, to complete Medicaid and CHIP applications. Partner organizations, including school districts, clinics, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices, and local health departments, will refer potentially Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible individuals to the Health Access Assisters.
Virginia: Virginia Health Care Foundation ($1,486,611)
Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF), a community-based organization focused on increasing underserved and uninsured Virginians’ access to primary care, is a prior HEALTHY KIDS Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment program grantee. The grantee will conduct outreach and provide application assistance to children, parents, and pregnant individuals in nine Virginia localities with the highest numbers of uninsured children. VHCF will partner with clinics, Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children offices, local health departments, and other community organizations in these Virginia localities to ensure “warm handoffs” of potentially Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible individuals to the grantee’s trained Application Assisters. The Application Assisters will provide individualized virtual or in-person assistance with Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and renewal.