IMPORTANT: Look for your child’s Medicaid or CHIP renewal in the mail, complete it and mail it back immediately. They may be covered even if you’re not! Go to Medicaid.gov/renewals to find contact information for your state Medicaid office.

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Keep Vaccines Up to Date With Medicaid and CHIP

New Infographic: ADHD Among Kids Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP

CMS recently released the 2024 Medicaid & Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Beneficiaries at a Glance: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Infographic which provides an overview of the prevalence of ADHD among children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, characteristics beneficiaries with ADHD, prevalence of common co-occurring health conditions, and utilization of treatment services.

Lead Exposure Awareness in the Month of October

Did you know that Medicaid and CHIP cover blood lead screenings for kids and teens up to age 19? The CDC estimates approximately 500,000 children in the United States have higher than average blood lead levels. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause serious and lasting effects. Catching and treating exposure early can reduce these effects and keep kids healthy as they grow. During International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week from October 22-28, connect with families in your community about the dangers of lead exposure and remind them that screenings are available through their Medicaid and CHIP coverage with resources available in the Outreach Tool Library.

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Upcoming Observances

Organizations can tie national observances, like the ones listed below, into Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment efforts.

  • September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
  • October: Children’s Health Month
  • October: Down Syndrome Awareness Month
  • October: Health Literacy Month
  • October: National Dental Hygiene Month
  • October 6 - 12: Mental Illness Awareness Week
  • October 15: Global Handwashing Day
  • October 21 - 25: National Health Education Week
  • October 22 - 28: International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
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Keeping kids on track with routine vaccinations is one of the best ways to protect them from serious illnesses, like measles, mumps, rubella, and more. Health coverage plays a big role in keeping kids up to date with their vaccines. With Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), families are covered for a wide array of routine immunizations.

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Resources from the CDC

Historically, routine vaccination during childhood has been an extremely effective method for preventing serious disease. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) immunization schedule is designed to provide immunity (protection) in life, before children are likely to be exposed to serious, potentially life-threatening diseases. However, vaccination rates among children have been on the decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a lasting impact on health service utilization. The CDC has new resources to help raise awareness about the risk of diseases and the protection that vaccines provide. These resources can also be used to encourage families in your community to talk to their child’s health care provider about getting back on track with routine vaccines. Together we can keep serious diseases that were once common in childhood nearly unheard of.

Protect Against Seasonal Illnesses

While parents and caregivers are scheduling routine vaccines for their children, they should also use that opportunity to make sure kids are protected against other illnesses circulating during the fall and winter. Medicaid and CHIP cover vaccines for flu and COVID-19, and treatments and immunizations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can all cause serious illness in children. The COVID-19 vaccine is recommended by the CDC for everyone ages 6 months or older and is safe to get at the same time as a flu vaccine. The CDC recommends maternal RSV vaccination for pregnant individuals or immunizations for children aged 19 months or younger with monoclonal antibodies.

Campaign Resources Available to Encourage Families to Get Vaccinated!

Use the outreach resources available on InsureKidsNow.gov and the Outreach Tool Library to connect with families in your community and encourage them to use their Medicaid and CHIP benefits to get vaccinated. There you can find materials tailored to vaccines including social copy , posters  (available in multiple languages), email signatures , digital videos, and more.

Stay Connected with the Campaign

  • Share our Campaign materials. Our ever-growing, multi-lingual Outreach Tool Library features a variety of targeted resources to use in your outreach and enrollment efforts, available in multiple formats.
  • Contact us. To get more involved with the Campaign, contact us via email at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov.
  • Follow the Campaign on X (formally Twitter). Remember to re-tweet or share our messages from @IKNGov with your social network and be sure to use our #Enroll365 and #KidsEnroll hashtags in your posts.

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