Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign Notes: Providing Peace of Mind to Parents

Providing Peace of Mind to Parents Recently, we have found ourselves confronted with a different kind of “normal.” For many across the country, that suddenly meant adjusting to online learning and schooling. It has also elevated the concerns parents have if their children get sick and need care. With this in mind, the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign created new resources that partners can share to remind parents and caretakers that Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provide free or low-cost health insurance for eligible children and teens up to age 19. With Medicaid and CHIP, parents get the peace of mind that comes with knowing their children have access to essential medical care, such as preventive services or emergency care should they get sick or injured. The resources also remind parents that even if they have applied before and were not able to obtain coverage, they may now be eligible. In addition to an animated video in English and Spanish, the Campaign offers a print-ready palm card, poster, and direct-mail insert in English and Spanish for use in community outreach. There is also a digital button that can be added to websites to easily connect to families with health insurance information in their state through the “Find Coverage for Your Family” map on InsureKidsNow.gov. The Many Benefits of Medicaid and CHIP As many as one in six U.S. children between the ages of 6 and 17 has a treatable mental health disorder. Did you know that Medicaid and CHIP also cover behavioral and mental health services for the 35 million already enrolled? Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which can cause distress and problems getting through the day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms often start in early childhood, although some disorders may develop during the teenage years. With Medicaid and CHIP, children and teens have access to mental health benefits such as psychotherapy, group therapy, and other types of counseling services to keep them on track in reaching important developmental and emotional milestones. If you want to help get the word out about these benefits, the Campaign has a Twitter and a Facebook graphic ready for your use. 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 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. Subscribe to the “Campaign Notes” eNewsletter The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign eNewsletter “Campaign Notes” is distributed throughout the year and provides updates on Campaign activities. If a friend or colleague forwarded this email to you, we invite you to sign up to receive this eNewsletter directly to your inbox.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) To contact CMS, please visit our contact us page.