Outreach & Enrollment Grants | InsureKidsNow.gov

Outreach & Enrollment Grants | InsureKidsNow.gov

Spotlight: Connecting Kids to Coverage

To increase the number of eligible children and adolescents who are signed up for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign and Grants Program in 2009. The following year, CMS began offering Connecting Kids to Coverage grants focused on outreach and enrollment support for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children. Funding to enroll and retain eligible AI/AN children in Medicaid and CHIP is currently authorized under the Helping Ensure Access for Little Ones, Toddlers and Hopeful Youth by Keeping Insurance Delivery Stable Act (HEALTHY KIDS).

CMS awards nearly $6 million in funding for 9 new Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS AI/AN 2020 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements

Recently, CMS announced 9 new Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS AI/AN 2020 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreement awards in 6 states. These awards are authorized under HEALTHY KIDS with the goal of increasing the participation of eligible, uninsured AI/AN children in Medicaid and CHIP. Total funding for the 9 cooperative agreement awards is just under $6 million. These awards have a 3-year performance period.

With these latest awards, CMS has now made available nearly $216 million in funding to 294 eligible entities through the Connecting to Kids program since its inception in 2009. The Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS AI/AN 2020 outreach and enrollment awards will provide critical support for the effective and targeted strategies needed to enroll and retain eligible, uninsured AI/AN children in Medicaid and CHIP.

Compared with their uninsured peers, kids with health care coverage are more likely to get regular checkups, do well in school, and become healthy, productive adults. Yet some kids lack coverage because their families remain unaware of the available coverage options for which they might qualify.

More outreach and enrollment assistance

Need help planning activities that connect AI/AN children in your community to health care coverage? Outreach and Enrollment Fundamentals (PDF, 952 KB, 15 p) includes tips for engaging with communities, creating messages that resonate with families, building partnerships, and more. Other culturally relevant resources to help people get health care coverage can be found on the CMS enrollment assistance webpage.