Workshop: D8 - Successful Models for Enrolling and Retaining Children in Medicaid and CHIP through School-Based Health Clinics

This workshop will be held on Tuesday, June 28th from 8:00am to 10:45am in Ballroom A.

America’s students are best equipped to excel when they are healthy -- and staying healthy depends in large measure on whether they have health insurance that covers routine preventive care and medical attention when they are sick or injured. These days, many families are coping with the effects of the economic downturn, which may have meant the loss of a job and the health coverage that went with it. Fortunately, children without health insurance do not have to miss out – eligible children can sign-up for coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). School-based health clinics play a pivotal role in providing students needed health services and they are also natural partners in the national effort to enroll all eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP.

We know that outreach works – especially when it includes targeted efforts to help families enroll their children in Medicaid and CHIP and keep them covered for as long as they qualify. There are many ways that school-based health centers can take the lead by engaging other school staff – including teachers, athletic coaches, guidance counselors and others – and by creating opportunities for families to learn more about the programs and complete applications. Many states have on-line applications and have taken other steps to simplify and streamline the process, making it easier and more effective to incorporate such activities in schools. You can find general materials you can customize and a list of ten A-plus strategies for schools on the US Department of Health and Human Services website, www.insurekidsnow.gov.

On the website, you can also learn more about the Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge, issued by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Over 50 organizations have stepped up to the Challenge and are actively working to find and enroll all eligible children that are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP and we encourage you to join. Come to the session Successful Models for Enrolling and Retaining Children in Medicaid and CHIP through School-Based Health Clinics at 8:00am in Belmont and learn more about the Challenge and how school-based health centers in Oregon and Colorado are contributing to this important effort.

Amy Hennessy, MPH
Technical Director
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Consortium for Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations