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CMS
Commits Over $49 Million to Reduce Uninsured Rate Among Children and Boost
Medicaid Enrollment Among Parents, Pregnant People
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
committed a record $49.4 million to fund organizations that can connect
more eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals to health care
coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program
(CHIP). Awardees—including state/local governments, tribal organizations, federal
health safety net organizations, non-profits, schools, and others—will
receive up to $1.5 million each for a three-year period to reduce the
number of uninsured children by advancing Medicaid/CHIP enrollment and
retention.
“No one should be left without access to critical health care,
especially during the pandemic,” said Health and Human Services Secretary
Xavier Becerra. “This historic funding opportunity is part of the
Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to get as many Americans covered
with affordable, quality health coverage. We encourage grassroots
organizations and other trusted voices to help us reach and enroll some of
our hardest-to-reach populations, including children and parents-to-be.”
“CMS is using every tool available to expand access to coverage
and care,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “The Biden-Harris
Administration is committed to advancing health equity, and encourages
organizations that serve children, their parents, and pregnant individuals
in diverse and underserved communities to apply. These organizations play a
pivotal role in connecting people to coverage since families and
individuals often seek help from community organizations they know and
trust.”
Supporting President Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive
Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, this
notice of funding opportunity leverages the Connecting Kids to Coverage
program to continue making health care more accessible and affordable.
Funded organizations will provide enrollment and renewal assistance to
children and their families, as well as pregnant people—a new optional target
population in this year’s award announcement.
Applicants will be encouraged to consider a range of
activities, including:
- Engaging schools and other
programs serving young people;
- Bridging racial and demographic
health coverage disparities by targeting communities with low coverage
rates;
- Establishing and developing
application assistance resources to provide high-quality, reliable
enrollment and renewal services in local communities;
- Using social media to conduct
virtual outreach and enrollment assistance; and
- Using parent mentors and
community health workers to assist families with enrolling in Medicaid
and CHIP, retaining coverage, and addressing social determinants of
health.
This unprecedented funding is vital to making sure children are
enrolled in coverage, especially those who are eligible for but not yet
enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Studies show that, of the
approximately four million children who remain uninsured, 2.3 million are
eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. Many families do not know that their
children may be eligible or understand how to enroll. Disparities also
remain particularly pronounced among specific groups. American Indian and
Alaska Native children experience the highest uninsured rate (11.8%), for
example, followed by Hispanic (11.4%) and non-Hispanic Black children
(5.9%).
In addition, Medicaid and CHIP play a critical role by
providing coverage for over 42% of births in the nation, nearly half of
which are to Black, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaskan Native
individuals. Because Medicaid and CHIP coverage is a key step in ensuring
access to necessary prenatal care and healthy birth outcomes, this funding
opportunity is including pregnant individuals as a new target
population. Expanding the outreach target population to include
pregnant individuals will also directly lead to increased enrollment of
eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP; generally, the infants born to
individuals who are enrolled in these programs at the time of birth are
automatically deemed eligible for Medicaid and CHIP for one year.
The Helping Ensure Access for Little Ones, Toddlers, and
Hopeful Youth by Keeping Insurance Delivery Stable Act of 2017 (HEALTHY
KIDS Act) provided continued funding for outreach and enrollment aimed
at reducing the number of children who are eligible for, but not
enrolled/retained in, Medicaid and CHIP. Since 2009, $216 million has been
awarded to more than 294 community-based organizations, states, and local
governments to support the enrollment and retention of eligible children in
Medicaid and CHIP.
Applications will be accepted through March 28, 2022. For more
information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337485
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