Tag Archives: Children’s Health Insurance Program

Brush Up on Oral Health: Medicaid and SCHIP

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August 2014

Medicaid is a state-run health insurance program for children from families with low incomes. Many, but not all, state Medicaid programs cover pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. The Children’s Health Insurance Program CHIP also is a state-run health insurance program. It is for children from families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance. Undocumented children cannot be enrolled in either program.

This issue of Brush Up on Oral Health describes Medicaid and CHIP and explains why the programs are important. It includes strategies Head Start health managers can use to help parents find a dental office or clinic that accepts Medicaid and CHIP. The issue also offers a recipe for a healthy snack that can be made in the Head Start classroom or at home.

Source: National Center on Health and Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Available at: http://hsicc.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/j/B58AAF785777F703

Building a Partnership between Medicaid and Head Start

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Tuesday, Sept. 16, 201412:30–2 p.m. EDT

Register Online Now!

Join the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services CMS and the Medicaid-CHIP State Dental Association MSDA for the Building a Partnership between Medicaid and Head Start webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. It is the eighth installment of the CMS Learning Lab: Improving Oral Health Through Access. Participants will learn about Head Start dental requirements and how Medicaid can help meet childrens needs. Discover the benefits of collaboration through examples from the Pennsylvania Head Start Association.

State Medicaid programs offer insurance to pregnant women, people with disabilities, and seniors. The Childrens Health Insurance Program CHIP also is a state-run health insurance program. It covers children from families who do not qualify for Medicaid but who cannot afford private insurance.

Topics for the webinar include:

  • Understanding the federal Head Start infrastructure and dental requirements
  • Oral health resources from the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start
  • Step-by-step process used in Pennsylvania to build a partnership between Medicaid and Head Start
  • Elements of Pennsylvania’s collaborative intervention and lessons learned so far

Presenters

Guest faculty for this webinar include:

  • Marco Beltran, DrPH, Head Start program specialist, Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families
  • Paul R. Westerberg, DDS, MBA, chief dental officer, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance Programs
  • Amy Requa, MSN, CRNP, oral health coordinator, Pennsylvania Head Start Association

Who Should Participate?

This webinar will benefit an array of audience members, including: Head Start and Early Head Start health managers and staff; Medicaid and CHIP liaisons; and anyone else interesting in building and supporting these partnerships.

How to Register

To register, select the link: https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration

Source: National Center on Health

Medical Home & Patient-Centered Care

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2013

A medical home is an enhanced model of primary care that provides whole person, accessible, comprehensive, ongoing and coordinated patient-centered care. First advanced by the American Academy of Pediatrics in the 1960’s, the concept gained momentum in 2007 when four major physician groups agreed to a common view of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model defined by seven “Joint Principles.” (For more information on the “Joint Principles” please go to www.pcpcc.net.) Since 2007, NASHP has been tracking and supporting state efforts to advance medical homes for Medicaid and CHIP participants. NASHP’s medical home map allows you to click on a state to learn about its efforts. Our work is supported by The Commonwealth Fund.

As of April 2013, 43 states have adopted policies and programs to advance medical homes. Medical home activity must meet the following criteria for inclusion on this map: (1) program implementation (or major expansion or improvement) in 2006 or later; (2) Medicaid or CHIP agency participation (not necessarily leadership); (3) explicitly intended to advance medical homes for Medicaid or CHIP participants; and (4) evidence of commitment, such as workgroups, legislation, executive orders, or dedicated staff.

Source: National Academy for State Health Policy

Available at: http://nashp.org/med-home-map

HHS awards $32 million in grants to sign up children for health coverage

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7/2/2013

Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced nearly $32 million in grants for efforts to identify and enroll children eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Grants were awarded to 41 state agencies, community health centers, school-based organizations and non-profit groups in 22 states; two grantees are multistate organizations.

“Today’s grants will ensure that more children across the nation have access to the quality health care they need,” said Secretary Sebelius. “We are drawing from successful children’s health coverage outreach and enrollment efforts to help promote enrollment this fall in Medicaid and the new Health Insurance Marketplace.”

Efforts to streamline Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and renewal practices, combined with robust outreach activities, have helped reduce the number of uninsured children.  Since 2008, 1.7 million children have gained coverage and the rate of uninsured children has dropped to 6.6 percent in 2012.

Grants were made in five focus areas:

  • Engaging schools in outreach, enrollment and retention activities (9 awards);
  • Reducing health coverage disparities by reaching out to subgroups of children that are less likely to have health coverage (8 awards);
  • Streamlining enrollment for individuals participating in other public benefit programs such as nutritional or other assistance programs (3 awards);
  • Improving application assistance resources to provide high quality, reliable Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and renewal services in local communities (13 awards); and
  • Training communities to help families understand the new application and enrollment system and to deliver effective assistance to families with children eligible for Medicaid or CHIP (8 awards).

These awards are part of the $140 million included in the Affordable Care Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 for enrollment and renewal outreach.

The grants will build on the Secretary’s Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge to find and enroll all eligible children and support outreach strategies that have been shown to be successful.

Grant amounts range from $190,000 to $1 million. For a list of grantees, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-Sheets/2013-Fact-Sheets-Items/2013-07-02.html

Learn more at http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

Available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2013pres/07/20130702b.html

Obama Administration and Text4Baby join forces to connect pregnant women and children to health coverage and information

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2/28/12

The Centers for Medicaid & Medicaid Services CMS announced today that it will partner with Text4Baby, a free national health texting service, to promote enrollment in both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program CHIP and provide pregnant women and new mothers free text messages on important health care issues.

The announcement is part of activities marking the anniversaries of both the signing of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 CHIPRA and the launch of Text4Baby, whose partners include Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, which provides the mobile health platforms, and a host of wireless carriers.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/02/20120228c.html

New Opportunities for Integrating and Improving Health Care for Women, Children, and Their Families

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2/2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act gives states new tools and funding to integrate public and private delivery of health care services. Many states are already integrating services for low-income women and children to improve outcomes and reduce costs. For example, many state Medicaid agencies and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, public health agencies, provider groups, private insurers, children’s hospitals, and family organizations are partnering to share resources including technical assistance, coordinated care, and quality improvement efforts. This issue brief highlights the efforts of Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Vermont to integrate health care services for low-income women and children, especially through state Title V maternal and child health programs.

Source: The Commonwealth Fund/AMCHP

Available at: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2012/Feb/1580_VanLandeghem_new_opportunities_integrating_hlt_care_02.pdf

New Opportunities for Integrating and Improving Health Care for Women, Children, and Their Families

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02/2012

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act gives states new tools and funding to integrate public and private delivery of health care services. Many states are already integrating services for low-income women and children to improve outcomes and reduce costs. For example, many state Medicaid agencies and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, public health agencies, provider groups, private insurers, children’s hospitals, and family organizations are partnering to share resources including technical assistance, coordinated care, and quality improvement efforts. This issue brief highlights the efforts of Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Vermont to integrate health care services for low-income women and children, especially through state Title V maternal and child health programs.

Source: The Commonwealth Fund

Available at: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2012/Feb/1580_VanLandeghem_new_opportunities_integrating_hlt_care_02.pdf

HHS awards $40 Million in grants to sign up children for health coverage

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8/18/11

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced $40 million in grants for efforts to identify and enroll children eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Grants were awarded to 39 state agencies, community health centers, school-based organizations and non-profit groups in 23 states. The two-year grants are authorized under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/08/20110818a.html