March 11, 2015
The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign has lots of news to share!
Join the "Think Teeth" Blog Carnival
The Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) is hosting a Blog Carnival to highlight the dental benefits covered under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and to encourage enrollment of eligible children. You don't need to have a blog to participate! Organizations or individuals can write and post an article on the "Think Teeth" topic on their blogs, eNewsletters or websites at any time during the week of arch 16-20, 2015. In addition, CDHP will gather and post all the blogs on one page to demonstrate the widespread support and to strongly emphasize the importance of Medicaid and CHIP enrollment. CDHP will provide participation instructions, including sample language that you can adapt to reflect your personal or organizational perspective. Email Matt Jacob at mjacob@cdhp.org for details.
What’s a Blog Carnival?
A Blog Carnival encourages a wide range of organizations and individuals to post blogs and eNewsletter articles on one topic during a set period of time, to elevate public awareness of a particular topic. Members of the public can learn about the issue through the websites and blogs they usually visit, and the collection of all posts in a single place can demonstrate the power of working with a diverse set of partners. The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign has used this method in the past. Check out the 2014 Blog Carnival on year-round enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP hosted by MomsRising.org.
Partner Spotlight
For more than 15 years, Special Olympics (SO), a new Connecting Kids to Coverage Campaign partner, has been providing free dental screenings and instruction on correct brushing and flossing techniques to Special Olympics athletes at events through its Healthy Athletes Special Smiles program. Now, SO is working with the National Campaign to raise awareness about the importance of dental care for children with special health care needs. As part of the effort, SO is showcasing our new flyer for parents of children with special needs, developed under CMS' Oral Health Initiative. During February, National Children's Dental Health Month, SO featured the flyer in a "Wellness Wednesday" post on the organization's Facebook page which was shared with more than 730,000 followers. SO also plans to distribute the flyer throughout the year at Special Smiles screenings in the United States. Learn more about the Healthy Athletes program .
Now Available! Campaign Webinar on Using Dental Services and Benefits to Motivate Families to Enroll in Medicaid and CHIP
If you missed the February 27, 2015 webinar "Using Dental Services and Benefits to Motivate Families to Enroll in Medicaid and CHIP" it is now available online. This 90-minute webinar focused on the instrumental role Medicaid and CHIP play in providing access to oral health benefits for enrolled children. Participants shared outreach tips and experiences enrolling families in Medicaid and CHIP at dental service events. View all our past National Campaign webinars.
Stay Connected With the National Campaign – In 3 Easy Steps
- Follow the Campaign on Twitter. Don't forget to re-tweet or share our messages with your network or use our #Enroll365 hashtag in your posts.
- Share our materials widely. We have more than 50 National Campaign resources available, including translated print materials, to use in outreach and enrollment efforts.
- Contact us to get more involved with the National Campaign at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov or 1-855-313-KIDS (5437).
The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign Notes eNewsletter is distributed throughout the year and provides updates on National Campaign activities. If a friend or colleague forwarded this email to you, sign up to receive this eNewsletter directly to your inbox.